Once Upon a Dream

Average Time

Isle of the Lost

"I waited for you" that phrase echoed in Mal's head non-stop. It had been weeks since that dream, and yes, she had had nightmares following that one, but he, the character in the dream always said the same thing, "I waited for you. Who was waiting for her? In every other dream she tried to figure out who that person was, because part of her believed it was all some kind of weird catch.

"Is everything okay with you?"

Jay asked. Jafar's son was the closest thing to what could be considered a friend. Mal had been standing there for over half an hour staring into nothingness and he wondered.

"Oh? Yes, of course." She came back to reality. "Have you ever had a nightmare?"

"Living in this place is already a nightmare."

No one would understand what was going on in his head, nor did he know why he was talking about it with Jay.

Mal wanted answers. She wanted to understand what were these bizarre things she was dreaming about that were eventually taking away her sleep.

(...)

United States of Auradon

In a faraway place, in a huge room in the Auradon Prep. school, a prince woke up happy that he had had a full night's sleep. The remedy Merriweather offered had amazing results. He was having baby sleep, with no dreams, nightmares, or voices that wouldn't leave his head.

As Benjamin got ready for another day, he wondered about the dreams. Yes, he was having perfect sleeps and that was good, but on the other hand, some part inside him still wanted to find out who the owner of the voice was. Anyway, Ben had no time for that, sooner than he really would have liked, he was eighteen and would be crowned king, so his schedule was full of appointments. From now until late at night he had meetings and gatherings with his father and his people, that's why getting a full night's sleep was so important...if there was a way to find out who that person was.

Immersed in his thoughts he left his room ready for class.

"Hey, future king."

Chad greeted him. Raised with him since forever, Cinderella's son was almost like a brother.

"Hi Chad."

He said without animation, from his friend's speech. No one needed to be reminded all the time that soon his life would change.

"What a downer man, did you fight with Audrey?"

"Audrey? I haven't seen her in about three days. She's in Auroria with her grandmother.

"So, is that really what you mean?"

The boy asked visibly excited about something Ben hadn't yet understood

"What?"

"Planning your 18th birthday party."

"Really Chad? It's still months away."

"Actually, it's eight months until then."

"Okay, when it's close, we'll talk about it okay? Now let's go, because the first class is with Mr. Dailey."

(...)

Somewhere Unknown

During all these past years, Cedric did everything he could to protect the Book of Fairy Tales. Even after the creation of Auradon, it was so easy to take care of the object, because almost no one knew it existed. Cedric's mission was just to stay hidden while he watched the story unfold and since, most of the villains were stuck on an island in the middle of the ocean, he only had to spend twenty years trapped indoors.

"Okay Felix, here's my plan." He sat still trying to think of what to do. He didn't know when, however, it was now extremely dangerous to stay in his house. "I don't have a plan, but we can't stay here. I just need to think a little." He took a breath and ran his hand over his cat. "I have a contact in Auradon, maybe I'm crazy, but that's probably the safest place there for us and the book.'

For a guardian of over a hundred years cell phone was not an option, so a potion here and a potion there and he was able to make a "call" with an old friend.

"Cedric?"

The voice on the other end of the spectrum asked trying to see Cedric's face on the other end.

"Hi Rashid."

Rashid was a wizard of enviable intelligence, born and raised in Wonderland, together with other witches he developed an absurd intelligence about magic.

"Is this serious? It's been decades since I've seen you."

He asked, happy to see one of the only friends he had.

"That's right, guardian job."

"And I think your call has something to do with it. Am I right?"

"Do you think it is possible to take in me and my cat in Auradon?"

"Sure, sure it is."

(...)

United States of Auradon

Adam could not have peace, as long as he did not know how far the curse of Cirse would go it would be impossible to rest. The following year, one in a day like this, Ben would be king and he couldn't not let him into the royal court officially at the risk of a deadly spell coming true.

Fairy Godmother spent hours reading about sorcery and the little bits of information she had, yet nothing seemed to fit. The only clear thing they had for sure was the boy's nightmares, which seemed to have no meaning at all. From what the son of the Beast described, he was in a forest and heard a voice, which he said was familiar. The more time went by, the more his father and king grew concerned.

(...)

"She didn't know how she felt until she lost him and he was unaware how much he wanted her, until she left. It was more than human contact, though between them this aspect was unique and both of them will never feel anything like it with other people."

"I feel that I have never liked anyone else like I like you."

"I want to be with you ... yes I assume all the risky that this may have."

This page of the book had just been written when Cedric felt a chill and something inside him said that what was to come was not for the good. He closed the book making a big noise and put the huge book away in his bag. Felix, his precious cat, jumped up and grabbed its owner.

That was it, he had to get out of there as soon as possible. He said a brief goodbye to his house and disappeared through a mist made of magic.

The man was so afraid and worried about the protection of the Book of Fairy Tales, that he didn't even look back or at the ground when he left. Cedric was not able to notice the page that fell out of the book as he closed the door in a violent hurry to leave.

The leaf fell to the dirty floor of the tidy little house.

A page fell to the floor. Not just any page, one of the rare pages that carried the drawing of one of the characters' moments. An important moment described as a photo. A part of the book was now thrown away for anyone to find.

What would come next was hard to tell whether it was planned or a major obstacle in the most beautiful and complicated story of the Fairy Tale world.