Disney's Tinker Bell in Storybrooke
A Disney Fairies / Once Upon A Time Crossover
Season 1, Episode 6, Chapter 4

THE ENCHANTED FOREST

David returned with the severed head of the beast. Proof positive that the deed was done. The knights who fell were suitably honored for their sacrifice in service to King's George and Midas. George was eager to receive his payment, but Midas had other ideas. He used the threat of the dragon to also determine who would be best suited to marry his daughter, Princess Abigail. A lovely blonde woman about David's age. It was Midas' intent to unify the kingdoms through marriage.

David, still going by his brother's name of James, was about to graciously turn down Midas' offer when King George pulled him aside and explained how things worked at this level. If David did not accept, King George would kill David, David's mother and take the farm. Without Midas' gold George's kingdom would perish and everyone in it would be lost. Without a proper government there would be no protection from invaders, no means to distribute food and water, no road would be safe, no laws could be enforced. Everyone would suffer.

With no choice, David begrudgingly accepted. Princess Abigail was equally unenthusiastic about the union. "He's the one who killed the dragon?" she asked her father. "I guess he'll do."

STORYBROOKE, MAINE

David returned home from his late night visit with Mary Margaret. Kathryn tried to jog his memory with old photographs of them, but David couldn't remember any of it. When Kathryn invited him to bed, he felt it was all wrong.

~O~

Claire and Hartley closed down Granny's Diner again. This time they were more cognizant of the time and left the restaurant at closing time. They had returned to the diner after the party ended. The middle aged couple enjoyed each others company and could talk for hours about almost anything and everything.

Since Claire drove her minivan tonight, Hartley kissed her hand when they left the diner. However, he promised to call her for another night out together. Claire liked the idea very much. Hartley waited, helping her into the vehicle and watching her drive away and out of sight before going home.

~O~

The next morning, Mary Margaret stopped at Granny's for coffee. She was joined by an irate guest. David left his wife, Mayor Mills told her. She was stunned by the announcement. Regina thought she knew, but was surprised to learn Ms. Blanchard had no idea. Still, Regina counted Kathryn as one of her friends and advised Ms. Blanchard to stay away from David as it could break up a marriage and hurt many people.

But David didn't want to stay away from Mary Margaret. At the school he snuck into her classroom before the start of classes. He confessed his love to her again. Mary Margaret, heeding Regina's words, rejected his advances, but David was too smitten with her to let well enough alone. He gave her time to think it. He asked her to meet him that evening at the toll bridge where she had found him. If Mary Margaret showed up it meant she was willing to go forward with their relationship. If she didn't, he would never bother her again.

~O~

Claire returned home that evening, her first full day of work at Town Hall complete. Valerie was with her. Both of their clothes were covered in dirt and dust from the old paint they were sanding off the walls. Tina had come directly home after classes, she was with her study partner Clarence.

The work truck, which normally smelled like dirt or oil, was filled with the enticing aroma of fried chicken, which was picked on the way home. Claire knew she was not supposed to. Her blood pressure had come down a bit, but was still high enough to be a worry. Claire had invested in a small blood pressure wrist monitor. She used it every morning and every night to track her blood pressure. The results were not encouraging. She bought the fried chicken because she was tired of the usual "bland and healthy" meals she had been eating lately and wanted to indulge tonight.

Clarence graciously excused himself so the family could eat together, but Claire insisted that he stay for dinner. She wanted to thank him for helping Tina with her studies. It gave Claire an excuse to not eat too much of the fried chicken. She also liked having a man around the house for dinner. Something the house had lacked for eight, long years.

Looking at Clarence sitting at the dinner table, Claire thought about inviting Hartley for dinner this week.

THE ENCHANTED FOREST

David came back to the farm to meet with Ruth, his mother. Her life was already improving. King George had kept his part of the bargain and she wanted for nothing now. David informed her of Midas' desire to unite the kingdoms through marriage. Ruth told him not to go through with the marriage. He should marry for love and not riches as he had always maintained.

He had already accepted. David explained why. Her life would be in danger if he turned down Midas' deal. But there was more, in order to keep up the ruse that David was Prince James he could no longer see her again. David had made this one last visit to tell his beloved mother "goodbye."

It was a bittersweet parting for both of them.

PIXIE HOLLOW (The Romano-British Period on the Mainland)

Queen Clarion would occasionally break into bouts of weeping, but never in front of her ministers or her subjects. Her mother, were she still alive, would have admonished her for the weakness.

"He was so strong," Clarus told her daughter. "Your father was so strong, as I should have been."

"You were strong, mother," Clarion said to her mother the queen. "Only someone with no heart could be witness to such a horror and be unmoved."

"No, I failed and Pixie Hollow suffered for it," Clarus said. "Never be weak, Ree; never think with your heart. No good ever comes of it."

That was one of the last conversations Ree had with her mother before Queen Clarus' passing. Her moment of weakness gave the pirates the location of Pixie Hollow, the treasury and the many artifacts of fairy magic. The implications of the theft were frightening.

"Now that they know where to find us," she said to herself, "they could come back at any time."

"That is a scary thought, isn't it," a voice said.

Clarion looked up, wiped the tears from her eyes and saw a human, fairy sized, with sickeningly shimmering skin, sunken eyes and wearing clothes that appeared to be made from crocodile skins.

"Who are you?" she demanded. "How did you get in here?"

"Who I am is not important, that I can help you with your little problem is," he said with a grinning laugh. "As I understand it, some nasty pirates stole something very important to you."

"How did you know?" Clarion asked, very confused by his knowledge of recent events.

"Oh that's easy, because I warned your mother and she didn't listen," he said.

"Rumpelstiltskin, I presume?" The queen's eyes narrowed as she sized up this grotesque looking human.

"You presume correctly, dearie," he said.

"You will address me as Queen Clarion or Your Royal Majesty," she stated coldly.

"Yes, yes, dearie, we can stand on formalities or we can find a way to solve your little problem."

"I don't need your help," Clarion said flatly.

"That's what your mother said and look where it got her," the imp said, goading the young queen. "I offered to protect her home from those awful men and she refused. Now she's dead, along with your father."

Clarion thought for a moment. Clarus warned her not to deal with The Dark One, but the scouts she had sent out to find the pirates had found nothing. Clarion was getting desperate. Where her mother's age and wisdom kept her from making a deal, Clarion's youth and inexperience would lead her down a different path.

"What can you offer me?" the new queen asked the impish man.

"Now we're talking," he said with a giggle. "You see, the pirates were hired muscle and your treasury was their finder's fee."

"What did they want?"

"Something called, the Enchanted Mirror of Incanta," he told her.

Those words chilled Clarion, she could hardly imagine to what ends their employer would use the three wishes of the magic mirror. Clarion simply could not allow that. She would protect Pixie Hollow where her mother could not. No weakness.

"The mirror cannot reach its destination," Clarion said, "and it must be returned to us."

"Oh now that's two things, dearie," Rumpelstiltskin said. "I can keep it out of that other person's hands or I can return it to you."

"It must be both," Clarion said with a determined stare.

"Very well then, just remember all magic comes with a price."

"Out with it then, what is your price?"

"I'll complete both tasks in exchange for a vial of yellow pixie dust and a vial of blue pixie dust."

Clarion's heart sunk. She could not give this abhorrent practitioner of dark magic any of their precious dust, what he could do with it might be almost as destructive as what the mirror could wreck. "Why do you need it?"

"I do magic, remember, I collect magical things so I can concoct spells and enchantments as I need them."

"Including a cursed axe? The same cursed axe that killed our Home Tree?" she questioned.

"A what? Is that what happened to your pretty little tree out there? I was wondering where it went," he said with a grin. "No, dearie, I use my magic to help others in need, like yourself."

"Can you bring back the dead?" Clarion asked. Unable to retrieve the mirror perhaps if her mother and father were alive they would know what to do.

"Oh no, dearie, magic can do much, but no' that." He said with a flourish of his hands. "What about your magic mirror?"

"As you said, magic can do much, but it cannot do that," Clarion said as she lowered her head revealing her sadness. "I'm afraid I cannot make a deal with you, Mr. Rumpelstiltskin."

"Okay, dearie, if that's what you want." He paused and turned around as if to leave. Then he swiveled back to face the new queen. "Oh, but what if you could use your mirror to keep the pirates from ever finding Never Land or Pixie Hollow in the first place? Your magic can bend time, can't it?"

Clarion's mind fixed on that and suddenly began to piece together the possibilities. If the mirror could alter the past…, but should she even try? Clarion again remembered that she was not to make deals with this man.

Sensing her apprehension, Rumpelstiltskin kept pushing her towards his own ends. "That's right, if the pirates never found this place your parents would not have been killed by them. You would have to give up being a queen, but at least you'll have dear old mum and dad around for a good while longer."

Clarion was silent for several moments. She was pulled in so many different directions. The new queen was frightened by her new status and all the challenges she was suddenly forced to face alone. She wanted her parents so desperately even if only to seek their counsel. But was she thinking with her heart? She was warned not to do that. It was dangerous Queen Clarus told her. Weakness leads to destruction which Clarion witnessed firsthand, both to Pixie Hollow and to her mother.

After the pirate's assault Queen Clarus saw what her failure had cost. The Home Tree was destroyed, the treasury emptied, the artifacts of fairy magic stolen and scores of Never Fairies had perished trying to stop the attack. Clarion then watched helplessly as her mother slipped into despair and depression, losing all will to live. She even stopped eating. Clarus withered away right in front of Clarion's eyes.

If Clarion were to enter this bargain it would be for them, they wouldn't have to endure such agony, Pixie Hollow would never lose its Home Tree; those who died would still live and the Never Fairies would get back its greatest and wisest royal couple. The magic of the mirror, though, was fraught with pitfalls. If the wishes were not from the heart then the outcome would be very disastrous.

"Of course, if you decline my offer, that pair of tombstones in the royal gardens will have to suffice. I'm sure it's just the same as having them around. Give dear old mum a hug for me, will you?" He paused a moment, then turned away and said, "Well, then. I'll be going now."

"Wait," she called to him. "We have an agreement."

Rumpelstiltskin smiled. His plan was coming together nicely.

These are the past sins of Queen Clarion.

Anyway, I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far.

I would like to add the following note. My hometown San Antonio Spurs won their fifth NBA Championship tonight (June 15, 2014), defeating the Miami Heat 4 games to 1. It was redemption after the Spurs came within thirty seconds of winning the NBA Championship last year. The Spurs lost game 6 in overtime when it seemed that they were going to win it all. They would eventually lose the 2013 NBA Finals in 7 games to these same Miami Heat.

Coming back to win it all this year was their season defining goal. Revenge is soooo sweet.