Disney's Tinker Bell in Storybrooke
A Disney Fairies / Once Upon A Time Crossover
Season 1, Episode 4, Chapter 0
A Pixie Hollow Flashback
PIXIE HOLLOW, NEVER LAND (The Romano-British Period on the Mainland)
"Your Highness, the Queen is about to give birth," were the very words he had been dreading. Prince Devon was right to be worried. His most beloved wife Queen Clarus was with child, their first. A girl for which they had already selected a name, if she survived.
Nine months earlier the queen's private healing talent informed the royal couple that they were to have a child. It was the most joyous moment of their wedded lives. A few months later, that joy turned to sorrow and heartache. They learned that the pregnancy was not going well and there would be many complications. If the baby survived all nine months it still may not make it. Birth would also be difficult and both mother and daughter would be at great risk.
Prince Devon could not imagine losing either of his precious gifts, much less both. It would be too much for him to endure. Devon was the overseer for the Scouting Talents. He and Queen Clarus had shared a long and sometimes tumultuous romance before agreeing to marry. Both were headstrong, daring and used to having others follow their orders. Fairy Devon often conflicted with Queen Clarus over things like how to defend against the intrusions of human pirates. Clarus insisted on humane methods of defense, whereas Devon wanted to use force. Once this band of humans had found Never Land and heard of the treasure of the Never Fairies they spent every day looking for Pixie Hollow. It could not be found by humans without help from a fairy, but that didn't mean the home of the Never Fairies was safe.
"Pirates," he would often remind her, "are the scum of humanity and are not worthy of our kindness. The Frankish and Saxon pirates who sail our waters steal, plunder, destroy and murder with impunity. They have a taste for the woman they capture and sell others into slavery." Both feared what would happen if some of them ever found Pixie Hollow, yet Clarus fiercely upheld her belief that fairies did not bring harm to humans. Their raving arguments were legendary. So was their incendiary attraction.
Devon did not change his attitudes once he married the queen and was elevated from overseer to Prince of the realm. He simply chose to vent his concerns in the bedroom rather than the conference room. That was how their baby girl was conceived, during a round of passionate lovemaking which had followed a round of equally passionate arguing.
For hours the queen had been isolated in the birthing room where she endured the pains of labor, surrounded only by her healing private healing and nursing talents. He could hear the screams she made from every contraction. They weathered on him, like water beating against even the stoutest of rocks. Finally, he had to leave. No self-respecting prince of the realm could be seen in such an emotional state. If their subjects witnessed his weakness, it would lead to a lack of confidence within the kingdom. Unthinkable.
Prince Devon was not weak by any standard. He had faced down even the most frightening of dangers that threatened their peaceful world. He drove away The Hawk, outwitted Wasps and escaped bats more than once. Even the human pirates were no match for his courageous and resourceful scouts. Yet for all his fortitude, this challenge was different. He could not fight it, outwit it or outfly it. The stakes were also greater, his wife and unborn child. He was helpless to do anything.
Devon sought out solitude near an old palm tree that sat atop a cliff. He sat there, overlooking waters that would later become known as the English Channel. This was where he used to bring the queen for quite dinners. Afterwards they would lean up against the palm tree, cover themselves in a blanket and watch the sun go down. He would take the opportunity to cuddle with her, whisper into her ear or nibble her shoulder. He hoped that once again he could bring his beloved Clarus to this place for more quiet dinners and romantic evenings watching the sun dip behind the far horizon.
Today, though, he wept. He wept for his wife, he wept for his child. He wept for the family he was sure he would never get to see. Life was over for him and he contemplated leaping from this overlook and into the waters below. When a fairy's wings become soaked with water, they act like an anchor and drag down the poor fairy to his or her doom. At least it would be over quickly. The hospital staff knew where to find him with the news, whatever it was. So it was only for him to wait. Time could not pass fast enough.
That's when he showed up. "Hello, Devon," the man said.
Shocked by this presence, Devon drew his sword, a human sewing needle repurposed by the tinkers into a weapon.
"Now, now, is that anyway to greet a guest?" the man said. The needle vanished into purple vapor.
"Who are you?" Devon demanded, his voice strong and intimidating.
The man who stood before Devon was no fairy. He was a human, but of fairy size. His eyes were dark and sunken, his face mottled and glistened in the light. The clothes he wore resembled that of a reptile, perhaps an alligator or crocodile. He smiled, revealing ugly teeth.
"I'm here to help," he said. "You seem to have a problem. I fix problems."
"What is your name? How did you get here? What are you?" Devon growled.
"Ah, ah ,ah, it's not polite to treat your savior in this manner" the man said. "But if you must know, my name is R-R-Rumpelstiltskin. Better known as The Dark One."
"I've never heard of you," Devon replied.
"I'm not surprised," the Dark One answered with a gleeful laugh. "I come from a distant realm. One even you do not know. But that's beside the point. You are in a bind and tossing yourself off this cliff won't make it any better, now will it?"
Prince Devon was dumbstruck. He looked at this ugly looking human, then at the cliff, then back to Rumpelstiltskin. "How did you know?"
"It's my job to know, dearie," Rumpelstiltskin answered. "Now then, are we going to resolve your sticky situation, or do you intend for your child to die before she can even be born and your wife to suffer until she bleeds to death?"
Again Prince Devon demanded to know how he was aware of this news. Again Rumpelstiltskin gave the same cryptic answer, it was his job to know. Devon questioned him further.
"Tsk tsk tsk," The Dark One replied. "The birth is not going well, the queen and the princess will be dead soon. Unless you let me help."
The prince knew this to be true. It was the last update he had received before retreating to this special location. "What can you do?"
"I have magic that can ease the birth and save your family," Rumpelstiltskin answered. "But I warn you, all magic comes with a price!" He added a flourish with his hands and arms for emphasis. The smile on his face never receded.
To Prince Devon, head of the scouts, this did not feel right. For this creature to show up right now when he needed him most with the very solution he required was damning evidence that this person was not to be trusted. Yet if he could indeed save his two treasures… then perhaps it would be worth the risk.
"What's the price?"
Rumpel smiled even harder. "Why, merely an exchange. Your life for theirs."
Devon was horrified. He would be denied the very thing he wanted to keep. A life with his family. But if he did nothing they would die. On the other hand, if he took Rumpelstiltskin's offer, they would live.
"Agreed. Take me with you, just save their lives."
"Oh no, dearie," Rumpelstiltskin said. "I'm anything if not a man who believes in family. You can stay until I require your life at some future date."
"When will that be?" Devon asked, apprehensive that he may have just sold his soul to what the humans called The Devil.
"How would I know?" Rumpelstiltskin said with a laugh. "But don't worry, it won't be anytime soon. You'll be able to watch your precious little girl grow up into a lovely princess long before I am ever in need of you."
The Dark One shook his hand in the air. In a puff of purple smoke a long contract unfurled. "Now then, do we have a deal?"
It was clear this demonic creature needed an iron clad contract before proceeding. Devon could still back out by not signing it. The Prince was about to let the healing talents try to save his wife and child when a summoner arrived. When the prince looked around, The Dark One was nowhere to be seen.
"My Prince, the healing talents require your presence," the summoner begged. "The birth does not go well; Queen Clarus is dying, the infant will not survive. The queen wants you at her side so she can say goodbye."
"I'll be right behind you," Prince Devon said. The summoner disappeared into the tall trees.
"Going once!" Rumpelstiltskin had returned.
"Where did you go?" Devon asked.
"Hurry, hurry. I can'na bring them back from the dead. Going twice!"
"You promise to save their lives?!" he pleaded with the horrid looking man.
"I promise. Going thri-."
Prince Devon grabbed the quill from Rumpelstiltskin's fingers and signed the contract. "Done!"
"Done indeed," he answered. Rumpel let out an impish giggle. "Now go, your wife and child await."
Devon knew he had done something terribly wrong. He felt forced into it. But if Rumpelstiltskin kept his promise then all would be well in the hospital.
When the doors to the birthing room flung open, there on the table was his beautiful queen. In her hands, wrapped in swaddling clothes was this tiny newborn fairy. Their baby girl, a princess with golden colored stubs on her back for wings.
Clarus looked at her husband with an exhausted, but wondrous smile. "You came."
"I wouldn't miss this for the world," he answered her.
"It looked like we were going to lose both of them," the healing talent said. "Then, like magic, everything improved and your baby was born strong and healthy."
Tears spilled down the proud papa's cheeks as he nodded. Prince Devon took the bundle into his arms. Their little one had survived. Rumpelstiltskin had kept his promise. With all the good cheer that surrounded this moment, Devon wondered just how long he had left. How many years would he get with his baby girl? He had no answer and promised to make every moment count. One thing he would not do, was tell anyone about his contract with Rumpelstiltskin. That was a secret he would take to his grave. Let his family be happy, no need to cast a dark shadow over their lives.
Devon kissed Clarus on the temples. "How are you feeling, Momma?"
She smiled and almost laughed, but was too tired. "I'm just fine. How is the Daddy?"
"Overjoyed that both of you are still with me," he said.
"We made it, thanks to the healing talents. They took good care of us."
The healers bowed in appreciation, but even they had no idea what happened.
Devon knelt beside his wife and placed the delicate bundle of joy back into her arms. "Say hi to mommy," he said to the child.
Clarus smiled and tried to laugh again. The infant's eyes were still closed and it couldn't understand a word they were saying. But the queen couldn't resist. "Say hi to daddy."
Devon kissed his wife again, then Clarus added, "Welcome to the world our precious Clarion."
This chapter is a stand alone flashback. It will begin to establish a series of events that will, in total, detail how Regina came to target Clarion and her Never Fairies with the curse. I hope you enjoyed it. Please review.
Note: I chose the name Clarus for Clarion's mother because the Latin clarus is the root word for clarion.