Second Way
The singing magical ring was the first to notice the slight shift, Wolf was the second. The third well, the third only noticed because at the time of the shift, the traveling mirror was activated. There was magic in the 10th Kingdom which was impossible since it didn't have any magic to speak of.
It sent off a very faint magical signature but it was her element, her magic. It seemed a bit off, but it was impossible! "I didn't birth any children!" The Black Fairy exclaimed out loud in outrage. She flew as hard and as fast as her aging body and wings could take her. 'Whoever stole my magic, they're dead!' She vowed as she willed her magic to take her to where the element, her element, was the strongest. Thankfully she got through the traveling mirror before it disconnected and she found herself in another world. The 10th Kingdom.
**
Virginia was singing softly along to the radio that was on in the restaurant's kitchen as she closed the dinner for the day. It's been a strange ten, almost eleven years she mused as she clicked off the radio, giving her restaurant a quick glace, eyes seeing how it was getting a little worn in places, like the kitchen countertop, and the wooden chairs.
But as she locked the doors of the 10th Kingdom, it was because it was well loved. Virginia continued to hum to herself as she walked into the forest of New York, really Central Park, but to her it was a forest of adventure, at least it was as she made her way to greet her 'brother' Wendall who was on a much needed vacation away from court. In reality he was trying very hard to avoid marriage, not that he had anything against marriage, it's just that he didn't care about anything to do with making heirs.
Virginia was rudely slammed to the ground by a figure in black that flew through the magic mirror just after King Wendall had stepped through.
The figure stopped and twisted around and around and then muttered something that lit up a faint red blood line. "As the King of the 4th Kingdom, I command you to stop." Wendall had grown up more these past eleven years.
But he was still frightened of the dark fairies as the Blackest of them all turned and glared at him. Before Wendall could say anything else but just stare in disbelief, the singing ring that usually kept silent unless it wasn't in public, and then you couldn't get it to shut up, started to sing,
"Oh new but old magic has blossomed this way and it's here to stay, black as night and dark as grey, white as might could lead the way. Oh happy day!"
"What do you mean new magic? Magic doesn't exist in the 10th Kingdom!" Virginia hissed quietly as she hustled the fairy and king from the park, thankful that it was New York and no one really stared.
The Black Fairy let herself be lead out of the mini-forest because to her annoyance her magic faded fast, faster then ever. Clearly she needed to search for this magic on foot else she'll never get answers. She did have the good sense to mini her wings to her clothes to make it look like a wing pattern as they got to the woman's who was not magical, named Virginia's house or home above a eatery.
"I don't know what's going on but I need answers before my son gets home from school and I want them now." Virginia demanded.
The Black Fairy sniffed at the demand, but since she clearly had no idea how this 'magical' world worked, she'll need help.
"I came because magic is here. In this 'unmagical' kingdom. I sensed it as soon as the traveling mirror was activated. It's not natural to this environment. Also I think someone stole it from me because I don't have offspring and this magic is clearly mine. Now you know this place are you going to help me or not?"
Wolf came in at that moment, eyes wild as if there was a full moon. "There's magic here. There's a shift, a big shift. I" Wolf sniffed the air scenting how this magic differ from the Black Fairy magic that he sensed as soon as she came through the portal. It seemed strangely familiar somehow.
"Can you track it?" The Black Fairy demanded.
Wolf frowned at the question, order really. "If it is coming to New York which from what I could scent briefly before it faded back to where it came from, it'll take a few days, luckily the full moon is coming up and afterwards I could track better."
Three days later, Virginia smiled to herself as she followed her husband and little Wolfie as they tracked down the magic as Wendall and the Black Fairy followed, nerves jumpy. The Black Fairy entertained herself by discretely zapping the city rats which she hated, rats spread diseases and each death gave her a thrill.
Wolf slammed to a stop on a back street just as a young woman with blonde hair and a red scarf shot into the prey that Wolf and his son were hunting knocking them both off of their feet, letting the followers to the follower to gather around.
"Neal?" The young woman breathed out in shock as she gazed at her one-time lover.
"Emma?" Neal said confused but slightly delighted but any further information was halted as the Black Fairy came up from behind and grabbed Neal by his collar.
"Is this the one who stole my magic?!" The Black Fairy hissed, outraged, then paused as she examined the shocked human whose eyes widen at the sight of her outstretched wand. Her wings were still 'tattoos' on her back.
Meanwhile Wendall could only stare in shock at the young woman who was equally confused and wary at the sudden cluster of strangers, her eyes narrowed instead of widened in shock at Wolf's flashing gold eyes and how the Black Fairy was hovering slightly as she continued to examine the man who was trying to wiggle away without success.
"No f'ing way." Wolfie breathed out. "She looks exactly like great aunt what's-her-name, but doesn't smell like Wendall but does at the same time."
"Wolfie manners!" Virginia scolded as she turned her gaze to the young woman who Neal identified as Emma and gave her a huge smile.
"You're from the Enchanted Forest too?" Emma asked as she wondered why this Wendall looked like he had seen a ghost and why the woman in front of her looked almost like her own mother, haircut and all, but for the face shape.
"I never heard the Nine Kingdoms called that before." Wendell said getting his shock under control. "I'm from the Fourth Kingdom out of the Nine Kingdoms. The Second Kingdom might be considered that now that the wolves are ah,"
"More understood and not 'eating' anyone? I still can't believe I"m getting marriage offers for Wolfie from the Red Ridding Hood court. Completely anserine." Wolf was technically a member of the Third Kingdom court after he and Virginia outed the mess that Red Riding Hood the 3rd made of her kingdom. Her younger twin, not in looks or personality now ruled free from her imprisonment by her sister and somehow was trying to make Wolfie a member of her court somehow.
Emma had had enough of this by-play that she did not understand, whistling sharply she got everyone's attention, ignoring the glares she got from the wolves if that what they really were. "Ok enough. Who are you and how do you know Bealfire, Rumblestitskin's son?" Emma demanded as she stared in confusion at all of them.
"We don't. We just followed the corrupted magic trail to here, which it came from there." Wolf pointed towards Neal's apartment which he had by passed thinking that Neal was the one who had the Black Fairy's magic.
The Black Fairy sniffed as she waved her wand discretely. "He's right, I sense it more strongly that way."
At that, Neal's face paled. "My father's here? We can't go back, I been running away from that man my entire life, well most of my life."
At that the Virginia stepped forward and extended an invitation to go to her place interrupting Emma who started to speak. "If that's so, we can go to the '10th Kingdom', a bar and grill that my husband and I run at the edge of Central park. I don't know about the rest of you but I could use a strong drink."
"I'll pass but I won't turn down one of your delicious hot chocolates with cinnamon in it." Wendell said.
With that Emma agreed with Neal following on how these people claimed to know magic but not the Enchanted Forest. Emma walked eyeing the man who claimed her favorite drink as his own.
"Do you want me to find?" Wolf said quietly to Emma who said, "Mr. Gold? Yes, also bring my son with you. His name is Henry." For some reason the 'Wolf' was trustworthy or because he reminded her a little bit of Ruby.
Emma didn't get a chance to ask the man who was called Wendell who went with Wolf to appease any upsets from Emma not returning.
Once at the restaurant, Emma exploded at Neal who tried to calm Emma's hurt and they started to talk in low but tense voices.
Virginia left the pair to prepare the drinks, sighing as the loud music of Gee-Bees came down from the apartment whose door was clearly open. "Wolfie, can you please tell your grandfather to turn that down? Or are the trolls visiting again?"
"Trolls?" Emma and Neal swung around in worry as the door opened letting in Mr. Gold aka Rumple, Wendell and Wolf who helped his wife carry in the drinks and snacks on the long table by the window that overlooked the park.
"Not your kind of trolls in your messed up world that you have lived in." The Black Fairy said as she eyed the man who eyed her back wary as he sensed strong magic from her, dark magic.
"Oh and how do you know dearie?" Rumble sneered while trying to catch his son's eye who looked anywhere but at him.
At that moment the singing ring decided to break into loud song, "Oh it is the dark one, the dark one, the dark one, oh it's the dark one whose death will be extreme, unless he changes his dream or it will be all unseen."
In the silence that followed, Burly the third King of the Troll Kingdom came down the stairs singing loudly and stopped at the new people. "Who you?" But before anything else could happen Wolfie hit him with some of his own troll dust and he went down like a rock.
Virginia who had set down the last of the food sighed in relief. "Thanks Wolfie. How long will he be out?"
"Long enough to sort this whole mess out. My nose is going crazy. Too much magic and smells in the air. I'm going to grandpa."
"Don't forget to remind him that trying to invent bouncy castles is a bad idea." Virginia called after his her son who dragged the unconscious Troll leader behind him. In New York, he wasn't the weird one.
Wolfie waved his mom off in agreement as Emma decided to sit down, making everyone follow her example.
Wendell snagged the cinnamon before Emma or Henry could and unscrewed the top. "Wendell don't use up all of it. I only have three containers left." Virginia gently asked.
Wendell carefully poured the exact amount of cinnamon in his hot chocolate along with a hint of vodka. He loved the non-magical world, they had great stuff.
"Since I'm the most important person here," Rumple and the Black Fairy sniffed in disgust at the same time making them eye each other again, "I'll start the introductions. My name is King Wendell of the House of White and I rule the 4th kingdom out of the Nine Kingdoms. These are my relatives and sometimes subjects, Virginia Lewis and her husband Wolf, Wolfie is their son. They saved my kingdom from an evil queen who was bent on continuing the Evil Queen's my grandmother's stepmother's evil work. Also for some reason the Black Fairy of the, do you have a kingdom to call the fairies own?"
"That is none of your concern." The Black Fairy said.
"Wait your grandmother was Snow White? Not possible." Emma said getting the cinnamon but not pouring as much on her hot chocolate handing it to Henry next who was as wide-eyed as Neal.
"Very possible as my dad was Snow White's son and my mom was from the Cinderella line. What I don't understand is how you look like my great aunt who died when she was younger."
"I don't care about your relations what I care about is this charlatan stole my magic and twisted it terribly." The Black Fairy said pointing to Rumble who was trying to talk to his son who was not talking.
"Charlatan? I am not a charlatan, I am Rumpelstiltskin dearie. I have magic only your fairies can dream off." Mr. Gold sneered down at the Black Fairy who was hovering over the table, she didn't care for a seat.
"If that's so dearie," she sneered back, "why is your magic foolishly tied to your life force? Don't you know that you either have a happily ever after or you die of horrible curses? At this rate your magic will kill you and I know exactly what I'm talking about. After all I cursed Sleeping Beauty and she's been asleep for more then two centuries, darn that Blue Fairy."
Neal's voice was bitter, "So that's the magic you couldn't give up to go with me when I asked you to come with me to this magic-less land? Some father you turned out to be Dad. Left your fourteen year old son to fend for himself. Thanks for nothing."
Emma's heart went out to Neal, she knew part of his story and he had tried to explain why he left her, but at least her parents tried to do right by her, leaving her in a new world, at least she wasn't deliberately abandoned. Mary Margret wanted to go with her, but instead she got August. Ugh.
"Neal." Emma started as the Black Fairy did something to Rumble who jerked back dislodging his scarf as he did so so it slipped down to floor. Emma and Henry stared in horror as Mr. Gold, no Rumble jerked twice in his chair.
"What, what did you do? I remember, I'm not just Mr. Gold. I have all my memories not just the cursed ones. You may call me Mr. Gold." Rumble asked as his lifetimes blended together almost perfectly or at least enough that he was himself underneath Mr. Gold.
"I could only 'fix' half of that 'spell' I'll need my older sister the Blue Fairy to get it completely fix that is if you want to use magic properly." The Black Fairy then turned to Henry studying the boy who was just drinking his cocoa listening with wide eyes. "Of course your grandson might be able to help out since he does have two different but balanced magic in his veins. A rare feat."
"I, I have a son?" Neal jerked his head towards Henry who stared back in shock setting his mug down with a thump.
"But, but mom told me that you died in fire, that you were a fireman." Henry said sad but glad at the same time studying his father, his father.
"I'm sorry kid. I," Neal was interrupted by a hug from his son, he looked up to see Emma with a sad smile on her face. He could understand why Emma did what she did, but it still hurt. Even if her smile was sad, it was still beautiful. He had to break his engagement off. He still loved her and his son needed him.
Wolf tapped Mr. Gold who turned towards him, his retort dying down at the serious look on Wolf's face as Emma explain their part of the curse when Virginia asked. The Black Fairy's face got darker and darker as Emma and Henry chimed in to tell about the curse that landed them here in America.
"The Black Fairy is correct, either you live happily ever after or you died from a horrible curse. Now as I'm hearing this it seems that you love your son more then your magic, but do you truly do so or you think you do so?"
Rumble stared at his mangled limb and somehow became honest for once. "Without my magic, I am weakling and a coward."
"You did what you had to do to papa. You didn't want to leave me alone after mother left us. I don't blame you for that, I blame that you got addicted to the magic. Nothing ever good comes with messing with magic." Neal said seriously letting Bealfire flash through his eyes after he text his fiancee it was off.
"Amen to that." Wolf nodded in agreement. "Virginia learned that the hard way."
"Oh please I could have given up the magic shoes anytime before you tossed them in the river." Virginia retorted.
"Oh yea then why did I have to save you from drowning when we went back and you spotted them on a distant island on a raging river?" Wolf said.
"Ah." Virginia just flushed and nodded.
"Magic shoes?" Emma asked as she picked Wendell's brain about his family and the Nine Kingdom curious how it was different from the Enchanted Forest.
"They turned you invisible, but they had a time limit and were very addicting." Virginia explained.
"Can you blend all the curses together? Because our people need to get out of Storybrooke." Rumble asked, deciding he didn't want to be tied to the name Mr. Gold.
The Black Fairy shook her head, "I'll need the other fairies to help with something that big. You were easy. It'll be easier if you gave up your magic. I just hope you didn't teach anyone else. Or it'll be ten times worse. I have a debt to pay to these people which is why I'm helping. If I didn't then their saving of the Nine Kingdoms would have been for not. I would just usually not put a curse on their son but I was under the weather when the christening happened."
"Let's go back to the Nine Kingdoms and prepare for this trip." Wendell decided. "Besides I want to show my 'aunt' my kingdom." He smiled at Emma.
With that events that would have taken place were altered and didn't happen in the exactly the same way. But that's another story all together.