Once Apon a Time (M)
 

Dark was lost, he had finally admitted to it. He had planned on just peeking into the library to see what it had held, but after several hours of wandering around he realized he did not know hoe to get out of the library. Just as Dark was about to sit down at a chair he heard a voice. He looked around looking for the source. The voice was male and had a comaanding air about it. He walked slowly towards part of the library he had yet to see. He felt a tugging as though someone was pulling him towards this section of the library. As he walked in the direction the pull was he tried to figure out how someone had been dircting him towards this section of the library.
Arriving at section of library the tug had been instistant on him going to the voice appeared once more this time commanding Dark to open the leather bound book that was before him.

"No," he said once again attempting to find the source of the voice. His hand betrays him though and reaches for the book. Suddenly he forgets about the voice as he notices that the book is blank except for chapter headers and the End.

"And so it begins." The voice had reappeared and just as Dark had opened his mouth to ask what exactly had begun that the book began to glow. Dark watched, qlued to his spot as the book glowed and then suddenly abaited. He noticed he was not longer amoung the book but in a blank and barren place.

it awoke abruptly from it's dreaming, someone was touching it's book. it reached out.


the thing it pulled in was strange boy the book offered. yes, it was a boy...no that was wrong, he knew boys, this was too large to be a boy man that was closer, he played with one of those before, but it was wrong too, this was like that female, the one who liked red and fairies and falling. oh! this was a teen, he knew about those, they liked hot rods and boogies, and kissing and makeup. he whirled the world and jumped into time with the teen

Dark saw for the first time the voice that had called to him in the library. It was formless and reminded him of a shadow. He knew it to be alive, having heard it speak but Dark was unsure of what was to happen. The barren land offered no clues, nor the the shade that had drawn him to the book and to itself.

Dark felt tendrils of fear mized with excitment. Fear of the unknown but even that would not keep him from his compainion. "Who are you?" He asked then demanded, "And where am I?"

it smiled then and took form, male it decided, teens liked males, tall one with fabio hair 'i..' it took a moment to form the words it had not needed in so long 'i am whoever you want me to be' it paused 'and this your world'

Dark's eyes took in the form before him. The creature that had called him here had changed its form. Now instead of being a black and relativly formless shadow it had taken a definate male shape with long, luxious hair. His head rang witht eh words it had spoken, 'I am whoever you want me to be, and this is your world.'

"My world." Dark whispered to himself. He woundered if he could change the barren landscape to something more fitting for the creature before him. "What is your name?" Dark asked knowing he could not keep calling his tempory host 'creature.'

a dark and shadowy fair bloomed all around the rides were bright and shiny and lusutrous but all black in a thousand shades 'my name is what ever you wish~' it bowed 'i am your humble prince my lord' it smiled through it's bangs




(do you have a falla's wish?)

Okay, that was kind of creepy though Dark. But to name the creature...not just any name would do, Dark was sure of that. But what would fit this prince who would take any form he desired? "Could you tell me about this place? How does it work? From where does it draw its power?" This would stall the prince for a little bit and might even give Dark an idea of two about how to leave. A perfect world might be intresting for a while but to much time in one and he would grow complacent.

'where are we? in the book of course. it's power...well' it rubbed it's neck softly and raised it's head as if to look to the sky, it's face reflecting silver in moonlit spill of light 'from the books i suppose' or more, the book draws from me, from this' it cupped the gem dangling from it's neck 'and from this' it lovinlg laid it's hands over dark's own collarbone, a gem neclace much like the prince's neck only differing in color. 'it works with love, desire, dreams, it works with wishes'

Dark accepted the jem and carefully placed it around his own neck. It was a deep blood red color. Dark silently absorded the information offered to him. "A book that forms dreams and desires. Can it form life or will it steal from the place I came from what life forms are desired?" The possibilities of a book that could bring dreams to life was intriging. "And will the book need a verbal command or will it act on subconscious desire?"

'for me both, for you...you are still so new, for you, you must ask through me' it smiled again 'all life in here is i or you, i cannot take from you nor you i' it did not know these things until it spoke them but once they were said it was as if he knew them all his life and they were so. 'desire anything my lord i am yours to command, give my but a name and i will belong to you' it kneeled then taking dark's hand in both of his and offered a kiss not unlike knights of old to their kings. it made a beautiful but unsettling sight, this dark creature offering fealty in a land of night fair

Dark had seen many strange things in his life time but this creature taking his hand and kissing it like a knight would kiss a king of old, this was by far the strangest. But Dark did not feel any reason to fear his host. "Alexander." the name tumbled past Dark's lips before he could stop it. "I name you Alexander." The name was a strong name and it fit this creature of darkness so perfectly as though made for him. "And please, call me Dark, none of this My Lord business." Dark gave Alexander a smile. "For now I am under your command until the student becomes the teacher, and the teacher a student." These words felt familiar and comforting but Dark knew he had never spoken them before. Dark knelt to be even with Alexander, "My first lesson, control over environment, I have always enjoyed the lush forests of my people."

alexander. it was a wonderful name 'i am alexander' he licked his lips as if tasting it, he good being named. his form adjusted to fit, a greek name. he knew nothing of greek things but he understood this. a greek form for a greek name. his skin took on an olive hue his hair a dark lusture. his eyes however became white, not unlike his gem. an abberition from what he should have been. it did not go unnoticed by alexander though he did not mention it. through their connected hands the second wish granted itself. woodlands filled the void, gread towering oaks filled the sky hoenysuckle and billberry bushes bloomed bewteen the trunks and moss and fern covered the ground. they now kneeled in a bed of wood sorrel.

'your lesson...' he began 'seeing it with your soul' hepulled one hand away from dark's and plucked a single green sprig from the bed. 'this is blue' he looked at dark holding the emerald shamrock between them. he looked imploringly at dark hoping he would understand what was being asked

When Alexander told Dark that the shamrock was blue, Darl was confused momentarily. Dark's focaus was no longer on Alexander whose form had changed to fit is name but the shamrock that he had pulled from the grass. Dark memorized it carefully then closed his eyes attempting to imagine the shamrock as blue rather then emerald. "Is this what you mean, Alexander?" Dark hoped he had made the right choice connecting mind to soul, the physical body to the mental body.

alexander watched his master try to undterstand the shamerock's place but it was too much and too soon, before he attepmted to change it he needed to believe it already changed 'in part, but unless you believe it is already blue you cannot wish it blue, wishes are about believing it is already so. try again. he watched in earnest, to see someone actually attempt to learn what came to him more naturally than breathing

"Oh," Dark said he opened his eyes and looked at the shamrock, he replaced it green color with blue and willed himself to forget that shamrock are normally green. 'unless you believe it is already blue you cannot wish it blue, wishes are about believing it is already so. try again' "The shamrock is blue," he whisped to himself not aware that he was talking out loud. "All shamrocks are blue." He relaxed his eyes and stopped looking through them and just saw the blue shamrock.

the light taste of magic flitted through his mind. the other was a very fast learner, he knew this though he knew not how it could be. the leafy little sprig was indeed now blue but so was the entire bed and a little of the surrounding foilage 'second lesson, learn to contain your wish so as not to corrupt it' he put the plant directly in his lord's hands and put his own over them. 'only this is blue'

Dark looked around sheepishlyat the surrounding area he had turned blue in his attempt to make the shamrock blue. When Alexander handed him the now blue shamrock back and said to make only the shamrock blue Dark knew that this magic was more difficult then Alexander fist made it appear. 'Well,' Thought Dark ruefully, 'first thing, turn the grass to green again.' the second time was easier and the area went back to the emerald geen it was before, unfortuantly the shamrock was green once again. He eyed the shamrock again and imagined it to be blue, lonely in its color to the emerald folage aroung it.

he did not tell the boy he was helping but he figured it was most likely something already noted, but he was fair in that he allowed the boy to try and grant his own wishes and only put behind the energy to make it happen, he did not however expect the other to so quickly use him as a rod for it. he did not try to help the wish to return the plants green. dark had acheived that on his own. he felt oddly proud as if he had contributed to this speedy manifestation. he watched as dark tried once more to make a wish. the small sprig at first did nothing but tendrils of blue slowly swirled into the green of it and soon it was once again blue, the rest of the erea had a lightish tint of blue in it but only the shamrock itself was the attempted color this time 'lovely' he whispered 'one more lesson' he rocked back on his heels removing himself from the comfortable yet intamate position. 'containment' he smiled again 'the shamerock is blue. the shamrock will stay blue. you do not care that it is blue' he pulled the plant from darks fingers and laid it on the ground next to them. it faded a little now looking a little tealer than blue. 'it is blue' he looked expectantly at the other

Dark almost sighed. Control would be hard, he had no doubt. Even when Alexander had first removed the shamrock from his hand it had started to fade. Dark took a deep breath and attempted to ignore the blue shamrock, 'that' he told himself firmly, 'was supposed to be blue, but everything else was supposed to be green.' Dark tried not focaus on it but on his teacher. he could see ir from the corner of his eye and had to firmly remind himself several times that the blue shamrock was supposed to be there.

alexander watched the other try dilegently not to pay attention to the plant on the ground. he decided to help and placed his hand over it and began to talk 'once apun a time' he began 'there was an ant who while looking for food saw a grain silo. she entered the silo and too a single grain of wheat. she went home and shared with her sisters. the next day all of the ants headed to the silo but it was only big enough for a single ant at a time...'

The second that Alexander had started to talk Dark's attention was no long the plant. Alexander's voice was steady and enrapturing, it quickly gradded Dark's attention and refused to release it. The worry of failing Alexander's test faded and was replaced by the contentment to listen to Alexander twll his story.

as he talked he lifted his hand from the plant so the fading color could be seen, as soon as it was noticed b the other he covered it again 'so each any went in one at a time, a sister would crawl through the hole, pick up a grain of wheat and leave. her sister after that would crawl through the hole pick up a grain of wheat and leave, her sister after that would crawl through the hole pick up a grain of wheat and leave. her sister after that...'

Dark noticed as the other lifted his hand that the color was fading from the shamrock. It is blue he reminded himself. The shamrock is blue, the surronding is green, and Alexander is telling a story. He knew that he had to divide his attention between the three and not focaus to much on just one. The hardest would be the shamrock but if he focaused all his attention on it he would turn the rest of the area blue, again.

' ...would crawl through the hole pick up a grain of wheat and leave, her sister after that would crawl through the hole pick up a grain of wheat and leave. her sister after that...' alexander was pleased that his lord was trying to take his lesson enthusiastically. he was really doing very well, the sprig though tinted a bit green had not grown any more natural in color. '...would crawl through the hole pick up a grain of wheat and leave, her sister after that would crawl through the hole pick up a grain of wheat and leave until all the grain had been gathered and none remained' he smiled. lesson one was complete

To intent on focasing on the three things Dark almost missed it when Alexander smiled and finsihed his story. Dark tilted his head gazing at Alexander and asked, "Will we go on?" He wasn't sure it he had passed or not and phrasing his question as he did made it able to go both ways. If he did not pass Alexander would inform him to try again, if he passed Alexander would tell him the next step.

'i believe' he began. 'you need only know this first lesson though you have already begun the second. i will teach you as you need to learn it, for now, let us play in your forest. it is beautiful.' he stood up tall and straight, the irony his image cast was lost

Dark smiled at Alexander taken by surprise at the offer to play in the forsest. He stood with Alexander and grabbed Alexander's hand. "Let us explore and see nature." Dark then paused and looked at Alexander, "When you said we could not wish for the other to be hurt did that include this wish? The forest contains many animals that will hurt a human if we infringe on their land." Dark was remembering the wolves of his own home land as he spoke.

(dude, there are no snakes on the isle hahaha)

' if i hurt myself i can be hurt, same for you, your wish can be dangerous and still come true. we simply must be careful.' he smiled at the hand and raced off with the boy in search of blewits and currents(mushrooms and berries) a basket in his recently unoccupied hand

(I had no idea. I'll edit my post. :o)

Dark was not surprised to learn wishes that could turn dangerous were allowed. He nodded when Alexander said to be carefull and eyed the basket in Alexander's hand even as they took off further into the woods. "Are we looking for blewits?" He was familiar to many types of blewits but only the ones that could poison someone, not the edible ones. "Or are we looking for currents?" He knew that occasionally some of the elders of his old colony had liked the black currents that grew close to the colony. This train if thought lead him to the relization that he did not know what Alexander liked. "Do you have any favorite foods?" Dark almost winced when that came out, did he not have a filter between his mouth and brain.

(sorry, i figured a pale black-haired boy with eyes like yours would be a child of the emerald isles hahaha though i only knew white current grew there, not black or that there /were/ black i knew about red hahaha)

he smiled. 'both if we can manage.' when the other asked the second his smiled softened. 'whatever you'd like to to be, why?' it went completly above his head that this was not a reasonable reply. he waited.

When Alexander told him that his favorite food would be whatever Dark wanted it to be Dark almost sighed. Alexander was like a blank book that wanted to be written in. Dark blinked at this comparision and remembered that he had entered into this realm through a book. "I want you to create your own tastes, likes, and dislikes." He smiled slightly it was a challenge for Alexander. "You have to be whatever you want to be." A blank book waiting to be written in. "I recommend trying little bits of everything to see what you like." Dark then release Alexander's hand to grab a berry he had seen that he recognized as edible. "As an example: I like reading, mind puzzles, and working with my hands."

he he tried to understand the command but it was well beyond his understanding, but it was a command all the same, he grabbed dark lightly by the wrist and brought the hand to his own face, he ate the berry his lips lightly brushing dark's fingers. he chewed contemplatively on it while still holding on to the other 'hm... i like being commanded. i like dark. i do not however like these things' he looked at the other hoping what he said was right.

Dark hoped by 'these things' Alexander meant the berries but he had a feeling it was his command that Alexander was talking about. Dark was a bit reluctant to command his prince but if the prince wished it he would do it. He relized Alexander was still holding his hand but he did not bring it up. Dark nodded to Alexander, "I will attempt not to do it again." Dark noticed that Alexander still had a basket in hand though Dark's had disappeared. Dark used used his only free hand to grab more berries and deposited most of them in the basket but keeping one he carefully held to Alexander's lips.

alexander was confused 'not to do it again'? he had offend his lord he was sure of it. he looked at the next proffered berry. it was dark and plump. he had no wish to eat food but so great was his desire to please his lord he gingerly ate that too, all the while he looked at his companion hoping he did not mess up again, there was precious little time left, already he could feel the chapter coming to a head

Dark grinned, he was happy that Alexander had eaten the berry though he had not seemed to enjoy it. Dark made a mental note that Alexander had not enjoyed the berry. "So, what shall we do next?" Dark asked Alexander cautiously, not wanted to press his luck after the making Alexander eat the berry. "More exploring? Or something else?"

'i think' he said after a moment's hesitation, 'we should hide' he dropped from dark's wrist to his hand and ran to a tree split in the middle, it was a very large tree and despite the crack through it's heart it was still growing. they sprinted to it and alexander grabbbed dark pulling him close back to chest and tucked himself reverse in the trre so they were both facing out. pulling up the hem of his cloak, he hid them both. 'shh...can you hear them?' he whispered in dark's ear, 'the fairy-folk are coming' he quieted then and keeping dark still in his embrace waited for the fae to come.

Dark was startled when Alexander grabbed him but made no move to resist knowing that Alexander knew more of this world then Dark did. When Alexander asked if Dark could hear the faries Dark had to shake his head. Dark knew that speaking would give them away and because of Alexander's reaction he assumed the faries to be dangerous. Dark strained his ears hoping to hear what Alexander had heard.

both stayed very still for a minute or maybe an hour, it was hard to tell but surely and with excellent timing just before the other could grow bored they came. through the woods the appeared at first wisps but drawing closer the appeared as young men and women dressed in green, thirteen in all nearly double that when accounting their hounds and horses. they walked in a way that appeared to be dancing, and rode in a way that made their mounts look as if they were prancing. it was a Hunt. their horn blew and he felt dark stir at the call, he held the other closer and whispered softly in his ear' do we stay or do we follow?'

"Follow." Dark whispered, wanted to see more of these people. He understood they may not be the safest people to be with but what was adventure without a little danger? Beside he was sure he could wish for a pair of knives if things got really messy.

alexander's smile grew. he shoved himself and the boy out of the tree and into the foliage, the entire party stopped and stared. 'RUN!' he screamed and grabbed the boy's hand. they ran helter-skelter through the trees the stunned band now following hotly on their tail