Three men stand in the thickly wooded trees, and frequently glance at the strange setup of seemingly random objects they have. One of the men wears all black, and a small mask that covers the area around his eyes. His blonde hair is tied back in a ponytail, and a sword hangs at his side. He looks the most relaxed of the three, which isn't relaxed at all, for he remains tense. The second is in Arabian garb, but is bright blue skinned. He cannot seem to hold still, and keeps fiddling with the thing he holds.  The last one is quite short, like a dwarf or leprechaun, but is neither. Something about him seems quite odd, but aside from his height it cannot be named. He looks first at his two companions, then at the objects laid out on the ground. "Are we ready?" he asked. "We only get one shot at this, since he's scanning for magical activity. If we get caught, we're dead."

    "Well, not really," said the man in black.  "I am. You're quite hard to kill, you know. And you..." he said, turning to the blue man. "You can't be killed. By the way, since we're trying to get help, we might not want to scare our guest any more than is necessary. Believe me, I know what I'm talking about. Fear is part of the job description. Appearing here would be strange enough in its own right, but with all the other stuff going on... well, someone blue would be over the top. You have illusionary magics, right? Cant you, I don't know, turn yourself invisible?"

    "Oh, fine," the blue man said, and the air around him seemed to twist suddenly, then he stood wearing a suit and tie, his skin no longer blue but a deep brown color. "So, just to review, you guys know that without a master I don't have as much control, right? I can't guarantee who you'll get. All I can do is make sure you get someone who fits your description."

    "We know," said the short man. "I might not have much magic, but I can help guide it so it doesn't grab the people we're trying to avoid... like him," and they all winced a little at the idea of 'him' appearing when they sought someone else.

    "Okay, here we go," said the blue man who was no longer blue. He tossed the thing he was holding, which was part of a sand-covered doorknob. It started to fall to the ground, but a stream of blue energy whooshed up from the items on the ground and suspended the doorknob in place, where it  spread and became a whole door and doorframe, resting on the ground. The handle of the door opened, and blue light spilled forth as someone stepped through the door. The light vanished, and through the doorframe only forest was visible. The person who had stepped through the door was a fit young man, in his mid-teens. He blinked and looked around, noticed the three men. He looked at the door in puzzlement, then seemed to understand. "There's magic here," he said. "I feel it. That's how I got here. But where is here? Aslan told me I wouldn't be able to return to Narnia."

    The short man walked forward, while the man in black stood back, partly in the shadow of the trees. "I am sorry to have to drag you here like this, but we need help. We're in Antasma; I'm afraid I have never heard of a place called Narnia." The man bowed to the youth. "I am called Rumplestiltskin. Please, sir, we must leave soon or the prince's guards will find us because of the magic of that doorway. Needless to say, it would not be a pretty sight if they caught us."

    "I'm Peter. Peter Pevensie. Why are the prince's men looking for you?"

    "He's paranoid, and is worried that someone with magic will try to overthrow his family, and thus prevent him from becoming king. Or he fears that people with magic might kill him, despite the consequences."

    "If you will come with me, I can lead us to someplace safe for a while," said the man in black. "I know all about avoiding people looking for you."

    "Do you mind if i ask how?" Peter asked. The man gave a small smile.

    "Hiding first, asking questions later."

 

 

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        -26 Years Ago

 

    He would have screamed if he could. But he couldn't move, couldn't make a sound. The curse laid on him heavily. He was dough, and had about as much power as regular dough. And worst of all, he couldn't even remember his own name. Someone picked him up, and began to shape him somehow. He couldn't tell what into, because he had no eyes. It went on for a while, the pulling and stretching and kneading. Did she want to eat him? she already tried to once. After a while, she stopped, and he finally began to warm up. He'd been cold since he'd been turned into dough. but then it began to get hot. Uncomfortably hot. sweltering.  Was she cooking him? Was he going to die? The heat and the pain intensified, and though he couldn't make a sound, he screamed inside.

    The blaze continued. He felt like the life was leeching out of him into an eternal flame, like his blood was boiling and his bones baking, at least, if he had had blood and bones. Finally, the oppressive, invasive heat faded by the tiniest degree, and a rush of hot, dry air blew over him. Suddenly, there was a feeling of movement, and a rush of cold air that brought gasping relief. He still felt heat radiating from the inside, but at least it wasn't pressing him from the outside as well. He lay there, blind and deaf, hoping that she wouldn't eat him. After what felt like an hour, he felt something. he was suddenly aware of part of him that wasn't before. Then he regained some sight, as if one eye were looking out into solid white fog. The whiteness retreated, and a young, beautiful woman stood over him, not at all the same woman as had tried to eat him earlier. She held an icing dispenser, full of white icing. It came down next to his eye, and then he could see with the other one. She then proceeded to make him a nose, since he  could now smell. The room smelled like gingerbread. That must be him. He was gingerbread. The eyes and nose... he must be a gingerbread man.

    How had he gotten away from her? and who was the new woman who returned his senses to him? Perhaps if he had his senses back, he could move as well. He twitched one arm, and it moved. He sat up clumsily, unused to his body. The girl jumped in surprise. "You're alive!" she said, shocked. but the shock quickly faded, and she looked at him through narrowed eyes. "What did you do to have this come upon you... What did you do to Riesa? She'll be happy to have you back, I bet." She lunged towards him, and snatched him up, but dropped him and sucked her fingers. He must still be hot from the oven. He scrambled to his feet and stumbled off the table and out the door, fear lending him speed.  as he ran down the road, the girl followed him out, and began to gain on him. He put on another burst of speed, managing through his fear to marvel that he was able to move at all. He ran off the path and through a bush, hoping to loose her in the grass and leaves. The girl must have stopped following him, because he no longer heard her footsteps. Instead, he heard her call out, "I have better things to do than chase you, but don't bet you're home free. Riesa can be quite determined." That didn't sound encouraging, but at least he could deal with it later. After he had time to figure out what was going on. He ran on.

    After some time, he realized he wasn't at all short of breath, and his pulse wasn't racing. he gloomily wondered if he had a pulse at all. He caught sight of a bright light, and ran out of the forest into an open path. He looked around. the place wasn't familiar at all. As he looked around to decide which way to go, he heard a voice.

     "What's that over there?" The speaker looked to be a farmer, walking with his wife. He stared wide-eyed at the gingerbread man "Is that... alive?" The gingerbread man did his best to stay perfectly frozen and pretend to be a rock, afraid of what might happen if they realized he was living gingerbread, but it didn't really work. "We've got to catch it. It must be hers. If she finds out that something of hers escaped and we didn't do anything, it'll be bad. She'll probably set the wolves on us," the farmer said, voice trembling. The gingerbread man didn't wait to figure out what the farmer was talking about. It sounded bad. He took off running, the man and his wife chasing right behind.

     Run, run, as fast as you can, he urged himself. As dashed down the road, unsteady on his stubby, unfamiliar legs, he saw another person. The same look of understanding and fear dawned on his face as the farmer's. The gingerbread man spun around, nearly falling over, and crashed back into the woods. Hopefully they'd have a harder time catching him here. Where could he go? every step crunched loudly on leaves, but they weren't quite thick enough to hide under. There were trees everywhere, but there was no way he'd be able to climb one of them, not as clumsy as he was.

     Bingo! A bush. He wriggled under the low branches and sat as still as he could, hearing the loud, thumping footsteps of the people searching for him.

     "Good day," a voice said right behind his ear. The gingerbread man jumped so high he bashed his head into one of the bush's branches. The speaker was a fox, calmly sitting and watching. "You look like you could use some assistance."

     "T-talking fox?" he managed in broken speech, terrified.

     "Yes, and a talking, breathing, gingerbread man.

     "How?" was the only thing he could think.

     "Same as you. Magic," the fox replied. "Oh, do forgive my manners. My name is Robin of Lockesly," he continued, standing and making his best effort at a bow.

     Completely bewildered at the strangeness of the situation, the only thing that came to mind to say in response was, "A fox named Robin?"

     "I wasn't always a fox. I was cursed. Anyways, what is your name, my good fellow?"

     "I- uh. I can't remember," the gingerbread man babbled. "Um. Why are the people chasing me? Why do they look so scared of someone?"

     "There is a woman in this area, a witch, named Audrey. She controls the whole place because of her power. Those that object to her often face her wolves. They're not normal wolves; they're magically conjured, maneating, demonic beasts in wolf shape, and they're under her complete control. The people are afraid you are one of her magic projects, and fear her wrath should they let you escape."

     "Are you one of her 'magic projects?'" the gingerbread man asked.

     "I am not. My affliction comes from a different origin. However,  I would be happy to help you escape from Audrey; I am apalled at the way she treats people around here. However, you may not like the escape very much."

 

-     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -      -     -     -     -     -

 

     "Look over there!" one of the farmers shouted. "The river! He's trying to cross the river!" The gingerbread man gulped as they all turned to stare at him. He couldn't swim the creek, since he would soak up water and fall apart, so he had accepted the fox's offer for a ride. He stood on the Robin's back as he started across the swift water. He shuddered as the farmers ran towards them.

     "Can you go any faster?" he hissed to the fox. The sight of so many people towering over him was terrifying.

     "Not really, I'm afraid," Robin responded. The gingerbread man had nothing to do but anxiously watch the water lapping higher at the fox's back and the farmers running towards them.

     "It's -pff! - getting deeper here. I can't - pff! - touch the bottom," Robin told him, spraying riverwater out of his mouth. "You'll have to climb up higher, off my back."

     "Fine," the gingerbread man replied nervously, clambering up to the fox's head. What was he thinking? Trusting a talking fox to save him from a psychotic witch and infuriated giant farmers? Too late to turn back now.

     The farmers had reached the edge of the river, and one of them was wading out in the slim hopes of trying to catch up to them. Another shouted he'd go around to the other side to try to cut them off.

     Robin's back was submerged under the water. water splashed on his neck, near the gingerbread man's feet, as the fox swam towards the middle of the river.

     "The water's -pff!- even faster out -pff!- here. It's harder to keep -pff!- my head up, so you may -pff!- want to climb up higher -pff!- onto my snout."

     The gingerbread clambered up onto the fox's long muzzle, which he seemed to be barely holding above the water. He trembled with dread. Was he going to die? The plan seemed a lot worse now. Even though the farmer that had ventured out had retreated, the raging waters weemed just as threatening.

     With a sudden, stomach-churning lurch, Robin flicked his head upwards, sending the gingerbread man spining head over heels straight up into the air. Fear sat like a heavy lump of lead in his chest as he began to fall straight towards the fox's wide-open jaws, edged with sharp, glistening teeth. Terror had wiped his mind blank; nothing but pure fear filled his mind as he plummeted into those gaping jaws.

     Snap.

 

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               -The Present Day

 

     "This is the safe place you were talking about?" Peter asked.

     "Yes," Rumplestiltskin replied. "I'm sorry it's such a long walk, but we can't bring the ship into the forest."

     "Will you tell me now what you meant earlier about the prince hunting people?" Peter requested.

     "As you wish," the man in black answered with a tight smile.

     "Before we begin," Rumplestiltskin interrupted, "you may want to sit down. This will take a while."

     "It all began with his mother, Queen Lidian..."

 

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            - 21 Years Ago

 

     Lidian rocked despondently on her heels. She was going to die in the morning. She couldn't do it. She couldn't complete the king's task. She was paying for her pride. If only the king hadn't heard the rumor of her boasting to the butcher that she could spin straw into gold.

     A room full of straw. That and a spinning wheel were  the only things she had. A room full of gold. That's what the king wanted. That little lie she had told the butcher had come around to bite her from behind. She was going to die in the morning.

     "You look sad. What's the matter?" a voice interrupted her mourning. She jumped up and looked around. There was a little man in the room, only about two feet tall, with a very strange spiced smell hanging around him.

     "Are you one of the king's men?" Lidian asked fearfully, backing up.

     "No, don't worry. I don't work for him. I came to offer you some help."

     "How'd you know I need help?"

     "You're locked in a room full of straw. It probably isn't by your request."

     "He wants gold," she whispered. "He wants me to spin it into gold."

     "But I take it that you can't?" the short man prompted. Lidian nodded. "Then you're in luck. That happens to be something I can help you with." She looked at him blankly. "I can make you spin straw into gold," he translated.

     "Why?" she asked with a trembling voice. "Why are you offering to help me. I don't have anything to pay you with."

     "We'll deal with the why later. For now, do you want to be saved? I have an enchanted talisman that lets the bearer spin straw into gold. As for the price? Make me the legal guardian of your first child. It doesn't have to be your heir, but give the child to me. I have here a magical contract written up- a binding contract- in which I give you the charm that will save your life, you promise me your firstborn child, and I am bound to protect and care for the child. The child will be treated well."

     "What's your name? How can I make a contract with someone who hasn't told me his name?" The proposition was too good to be true. Which augmented Lidian's fear even more.

     The little man took a bow. "You may call me Rumplestiltskin." He saw she was still terrified, of everything. "My dear, what choice do you have? You can sit in this locked room with no escape, surrounded by straw, to be executed tomorrow. Or you can sign the contract, and you get the magic charm. What reason do I have to trick you? If you die, then I wouldn't be able to get your firstborn child. When it comes to options, I'm afraid you're grasping at straws." Lidian remained blank-faced, but reached out a shaking hand towards Rumplestiltskin's proffered contract. She took the quill he handed her and signed. The little man placed the talisman in her hand. It was a little knot of wood, coated in finely-ground rock dust as slick as ice. It was threaded on a leather cord, which she placed around her neck.

     Lidian looked up to ask the little man, Rumplestiltskin, why he would care about her, why he would want her child, but he was gone; the only sign he had ever been there at all was the leather cord around her neck and the pendant dangling from it. Too late now. Hoping she hadn't been tricked into selling her soul away, she gathered up a fistful of straw in her trembling hand and sat down at the spinning wheel.

 

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           -26 Years Ago

 

     Robin glanced around one final time, just to make sure no one could see. Satisfied, he leaned down and very gingerly opened his mouth. The gingerbread man, soggy but still intact, fell onto the ground. "I absolutely hate that plan." He began clambering upright. "Even though I knew it was coming, I was terrified you were going to eat me."

     "I know it's a big thing to risk, putting your life in someone else's hands," the fox said, "especially someone you don't really know."

     "And now I owe you. Faking my death? A brilliant--if extremely terrifying--plan. How can I ever make it up to you?"

     "Have you heard the term pay it forward? Instead of trying to provide something to me, when you see someone who needs help, help them."

     "I will. Are you sure there's nothing I can do for you, though?" the gingerbread man inquired.

     "You can tell me your name," the fox said mildly.

     "I- I don't remember," the gingerbread man managed.

     "Well, you need to have something to go by in the meantime," Robin said. "How about... Rumplestiltskin?"

     "As good a name as any, I suppose."

     "What will you do now?" Robin asked.

     "Try to break the curse, I think. But I don't know how to do that."

     "Seek out James Kilian Hood. He knows a great many magical experts. Tell him I sent you."

     "Thank you. I will," said Rumplestiltskin.

 

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Bagheera (a pantherope ie werepanther) finds Mowgli, whose parents have been killed, and deliver him into the care of a werewolf pack led by Akeela. Raksha is the werewolf to take him in, and other pack members include Lela, Phaona, and Wontalla

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Fain and ix are the two sects/races of i:llumini. G'lant aka David Rain is one fain, and Maleficent is an ix. The fain view the ix as bad due to the actions of a few ix, and due to the ongoing discrimination against the ix, they have begun to retaliate which only makes the fain hate them more. The x:risor are the faction that perform malicious/terror acts