Disclaimer, I do not own The Land of Stories series. This magical story was written by Chris Colfer.

Prologue: Mayhem and Sorrow

Charlotte and John Bailey had never felt happier in their entire lives.

"They're beautiful," Charlotte said stroking her daughter's strawberry blonde hair.

"We'll fill them up with stories and love," John said giving his wife a tender smile."

"Oh John."

The two sat close together in their cosy living room as they rocked the twins gently. Outside, the night sky was bright with stars, and a crescent moon hovered in the horizon. Aside from the occasional sounds of traffic, and the distant footsteps of late night strollers, the evening was a quiet one. The two sat there in companionable silence, relishing the moment of peace and tranquillity, not knowing it would be shattered in minutes, and that for a long time, tranquillity for the Bailey family would be difficult to find. Every now and then, they glanced at each other, broad grins lighting up their faces. Every gurgle and cry was a source of pure joy for the new parents, and both were determined to be the best parents they could be. When one or both of the twins cried, Charlotte or John was by their side in an instant. Whether they were hungry, needed a change or just wanted to be held, both performed the task with an abundance of love.

"Tell them a story," Charlotte whispered.

Sighing, John leaned back into the cushions his brow furrowed in thought.

"Hmm. Which one should I tell them?"

But before Charlotte could reply, a loud and deafening bang split the air. Startled, John sat upright, pulling Connor closer to him

"What was that?" Charlotte asked looking around anxiously.

"Maybe it was the neighbours."

"I don't think so. Something doesn't feel right."

Before either of them had the chance to act, a blinding bright flash of violet light filled the room.

"Who's there?"

The room began to shake violently. Chairs overturned, a vase on the coffee table shattered, and a rain of glass cascaded down onto the family. Desperately, John and Charlotte clutched their children tightly not wanting them to be harmed.

"Get down!" John called over the raucous.

At the same moment, they dove to the floor, shielding Alex and Connor from harm's way.

But despite all their efforts, it wasn't enough. The intruder had capabilities that were beyond either of them.

"Nooooooo!"

"Alex!"

"Alex!"

Charlotte didn't know how it had happened. One minute, Alex was tightly wrapped in her arms. And the next she was gone. Did she lose her grip? What kind of mother lost her child?

The sound of falling objects and toppling furniture filled Charlotte's ears.

But it was nothing compared to her grief stricken screams. She lay slumped on the floor paralysed, frozen in shock and disbelief.

"Alex!"

Charlotte screamed and screamed until her voice was hoarse. She cried and cried until her tears could have filled an ocean.

But no matter what she did, she couldn't drown the sorrow, the guilt and the agony that coursed through her veins. She couldn't tame her heart which was kicking and bucking like a wild horse full of rage. But the worse part was feeling so helpless.

She had no idea where her daughter was or how to go about searching for her.

All she knew was that she, Charlotte Bailey, would never be the same again.

"Calm down! There has been a break-out from Pinocchio Prison. How can you tell me to calm down! This could be catastrophic!"

"We know Xanthous," Tangerina said drowning his voice for the first time that afternoon.

"We know what the consequences could be, and we're all trying to stay calm and come up with a solution unlike you."

"But-"

"Everyone stop," Emerelda said in her authoritative voice.

"Soldiers from every kingdom are hunting down the escaped prisoner. We have given Pinocchio Prison every defensive and offensive spell we can think of. For now, that is all we can do. Now, we must wait."

The room fell into a heavy silence following Emerelda's words. They were at a loss of what to do. They wanted to help, but in what way they didn't know.

"Where's the Fairy Godmother?" Skylene asked.

All the fairies looked around with concerned expressions.

"She said she would be here. I hope nothing has happened to her." That would just be-"

At that moment, Emerelda was cut off as a misty white light filled the room, and when the mist cleared, the Fairy Godmother appeared in their midst.

The appearance of the Fairy Godmother usually meant hope, but unfortunately, this was an exception. It was clear to see that the Fairy Godmother was even more anxious than the Council. None of them had ever seen her so distraught. Her eyes were red and blotchy, her usually pristine gown was rumpled and torn in places, and her kind face was lined with sadness.

"What's wrong fairy Godmother?" Coral asked timidly.

With a great effort, the Fairy Godmother looked at the others and said,

"One of my grand children has been kidnapped. Alex has been taken."

The other fairies were utterly speechless. They stared in horror and disbelief that more bad news was coming their way.

"That is terrible news, but surely the people in the other world will find Alex. We have enough to deal with here. I'm deeply sorry, but you must understand-"

"I think Alex is in the Fairytale World."

"What makes you say that?" Rosette asked.

"My chambers have been broken into. The blue bottle with portal potion is missing and my collection of library books from the other world is nowhere to be found."

At these words, the fairies came upon a harsh truth they did not want to be confronted with. It was not only their world in danger, but also the other world. But most of all, it dawned on them that even the Fairy Godmother did not have all the answers.