Once on Instagram III

Where Bluebirds Fly (Part One)

June 18, 2018

Dorothy hesitantly sat down across from Regina. She wasn't sure what was going on, but the look on Regina's face was making her nervous. "What... what's going on?"

Regina took a deep breath. "I'm afraid we're running out of time reversing whatever the Black Fairy did to Ella. Belle, Zelena, Nimue, and I have been researching, but no one has any information on dark fairy magic because the Black Fairy is the only fairy to turn dark. ...There might be one option left, though."

Dorothy didn't like Regina's tone. "If there's one option left, why aren't you talking with Belle about it?"

"Because it's a very bad option. It's risky for more reason than one and I don't want to tell Belle about it because she won't be going with me. I need you to go with me, because I think our only hope might be in the realm you come from." Regina pursed her lips and waited for Dorothy's reaction.

Dorothy didn't know how she felt about that. "I... I don't want to go back to Kansas--"

Regina shook her head. "We're not going to Kansas. We're going to New Orleans. You see, you come from a realm like the Land Without Magic, except it has magic. Princess and the Frog takes place in a realm like that, and I kinda doubt there's more than one realm like that."

"Why are we looking for Princess and the Frog?"

Regina looked down. "Well, assuming Tia is Tiana, that mean Princess and the Frog exists in some realm. I believe Henry mentioned Tia was from New Orleans, but it couldn't have been the New Orleans in the Land Without Magic, so it must be the New Orleans in the realm you're from. Tiana can't help us, but someone from her story might be able to. Someone I personally hoped I would never meet, but," Regina sighed, "I'm going to do anything and everything I can to restore Ella's memories. So we're going to find Facilier and we're going to somehow force him to help us because I don't know of anyone else who might know anything about dark fairy magic."

Dorothy's eyes widened. "You mean the shadow guy? The one in season seven who, well, you know..."

"Yes, I'm aware of what he's supposed to do. But he ends up dead, so it can't be that serious."

"Did you forget who else ended up dead?!"

Regina gave Dorothy a look that made Dorothy wish she'd stayed silent, but then Regina's expression softened. "All I'm trying to say is we don't have another option. I don't know anything about voodoo magic or if that's even the kind of magic Facilier has, but I don't know of anyone else with dark magic who we haven't encountered yet. I know it's a horrible idea, but I don't think anyone else has a better one."

Dorothy sighed. "You're really willing to risk this for Ella? Facilier is a villain, remember? You might have only ended up with him because you were cursed."

"It's the last idea I've got, Dorothy. I'm open to any other option but I don't think we have any other options. So... will you go with me to find him?"

"Yeah," Dorothy heard herself say. "I'll go."

"Okay. We'll--"

Tinker Bell burst through the door. "Wait!" She shouted. "Whatever you're planning to do, stop! I think I know someone who can restore Ella's memories!"

~

"What's this?" Ella was looking at the screen of Grace's phone when Grace reentered her room.

"Uh... my phone?"

"No." Ella turned the phone so Grace could see the screen. "The picture on it. Is it... us?"

Grace had forgotten that her lock screen was a selfie she and Ella had taken at the beginning of Pride Month, the two of them holding up a pansexual pride flag and grinning as Grace had snapped the picture. "Oh. Yeah."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. But it turned on and I looked over and I saw the picture."

"You're fine," Grace assured Ella. She sat down next to Ella and took her phone. She had a Snapchat from Henry about gods knows what that she didn't really feel like looking at right then. Grace turned to look at Ella. "There's this TV show I've been wanting to watch called Lost in Space. Do you... watch to watch the first episode with me? It's on Netflix."

Ella smiled. She didn't know what Lost in Space was, but she found the concept of TV shows fascinating. She nodded. "I'd love to!"

Grace grinned at her. "Great!"

~

"Who?" Regina asked, looking at Tinker Bell very skeptically. "You said you didn't know what else to try."

"I did. I was wrong. There is one more person I know who studied the ins and outs of fairy magic, and she might know how to counteract dark fairy magic. But I'm going to need transportation to another realm and someone to go with me."

"What realm?"

"Neverland."

Dorothy looked at Regina. "I thought you said there was no one left in Neverland?!"

"I thought there was no one left in Neverland." Regina raised an eyebrow at Tinker Bell.

"There were always more than just Pan, his Lost Boys, and I in Neverland. But with someone like Pan in charge, they knew how to hide. You never knew they were there because they didn't want you to know. There's one tribe of people left, and their leader is a woman named Tiger Lily. She may be able to help."

"Like the Tiger Lily?" Dorothy asked.

"Probably. She knows more about fairy magic than even I do, and she may have some lost knowledge about dark fairy magic. If I talk to her, I might be able to convince her to take a look at Ella. But, uh, I'd like someone else with me just in case things go wrong, you know?"

"I'll go," Dorothy and Regina volunteered in unison. They turned and looked at each other. "No, I'll go!"

"I've been to Neverland before," Regina argued. "Besides, you and Ruby need to prepare for your wedding."

"You need to stay here in the Land of Untold Stories!" Dorothy exclaimed. "You've got the vote on the Abandoned Youth Campaign coming up and not to mention, you need to keep an eye on the Hook and Milah problem. It's better if I go. The people of the Land of Untold Stories need you here."

Regina glared at Dorothy for a few moments before giving in. "Fine. But if you two aren't back in two days, I'm coming after you. With backup."

Tinker Bell nodded before Dorothy could argue. "Deal. We'll be back in two days or less." The fairy looked over at Dorothy. "We need to leave now."

"Uh... okay. I guess let's go then."