POV: Asterion Minotaur
Grasping Ariadne's hand, a small anchor in a world utterly beyond my comprehension, I led her through the portal. The land disappeared beneath my feet, replaced by a dizzying feeling of weightlessness. Looking over, I saw Ariadne's head swivel, her eyes wide with wonderment as we seemed to be in a tunnel of some kind. Swirling bolts of vibrant green energy randomly jolted from the misty exterior of this ephemeral passage.
Our journey through this strange, swirling void didn't take long before we were faced with the exit: a glowing doorway leading to an unknown location. Stepping through the shimmering threshold, we were greeted not by open sky or a continuation of the forest, but by a giant building made completely of stone. I was genuinely surprised by the craftsmanship, its immense blocks fitted together with a precision I'd only ever seen in the sealed walls of my labyrinth.
In front of the building, a man stood in a clearing, smoking a cigarette, its thin stream of smoke curling against the backdrop of this new reality. Next to him was a woman with skin as white as freshly fallen snow and hair as dark as the night sky itself. It didn't take long before I heard the man's gravelly voice. "Well, Snow, it looks like we have some visitors. The witches on the 13th floor were right this time." The woman, now named Snow, glanced at the man with a look that was hard to determine, a subtle shift in her pale features before she spoke up.
"Hello, my name is Snow White. I am the assistant to the deputy mayor. This is Sheriff Bigby Wolf." Her voice was clear, calm, and held an unexpected authority. "First, I just want to say, Welcome to Fabletown! Fabletown is the home of a variety of Fables, all or most of the Fables who are here either came during the exodus or have found their way here due to the Adversary taking over The Homelands. Life here is different, but we make the most of what we can. Follow me, and we will go record your story in the Book of Fables."
I looked back at Ariadne, trying to convey my swirling thoughts – the strangeness of it all, the unexpected welcome, the mention of "Fables" and "The Homelands." It seemed to work, as she stepped forward, taking the lead.
POV: Ariadne
Listening to Snow White, she explained the situation we had landed ourselves in, and I wasn't disappointed. A community of individuals, all of whom came from similar backgrounds to us… How wondrous! When Snow finished, I saw Asterion turn to look at me, uncertainty hidden within his bestial eyes. Seeing him struggling, still grappling with the confines of his nature and long imprisonment, I stepped up and took control. "That would be wonderful, Snow. My brother, Asterion, cannot speak, but I assure you he is not a mindless monster. Sorry, brother." I glanced at him apologetically. "We were escaping from the wooden soldiers of the Adversary when a portal appeared. A man named Theseus abandoned us to escape himself. Did he come here?"
Snow and Bigby kept their eyes on Asterion as we moved through what she called The Woodlands, the stone building giving way to a surprisingly mundane city street. The Sheriff, Bigby, answered, his voice rough. "No, no one came through that portal but the two of you. I do smell the scent of those f***ing wooden soldiers the Adversary loves so much, and a forest you must have passed through. Your brother, though," he paused, sniffing the air subtly, "he smells like Death. It's hard to smell anything other than that." The raw honesty of his words was unsettling, but not surprising given Asterion's past.
We made it to the Mayor's Office, walking inside to be met with the grandest display of magic I had experienced since we left Crete. A cavern took the place of a simple office, the walls expanding upwards and outwards, giving the illusion of boundless space. Trinkets adorned random places – some huge, others small – but all with one thing in common: they all had the spark of a story within them, making them something different, something alive. Snow explained that when we crossed over into the Mundy world, or The Mundane World, we were cut off from our homeland, our very story. Apparently, this land had magic; it was just hidden away. This land was a land of observation, Snow told us, and somehow every one of our stories was recorded here in the mundane world, and that we might even be "popular" to them. She told us that depending on our popularity, it would determine our strength in this new world. The concept was utterly alien.
Approaching the mayor's desk, I saw a lanky, balding man, his nameplate reading "Ichabod Crane, Deputy Mayor." I heard him start speaking to Snow, and I wasn't sure I was going to like him. "What do we have here, Miss Snow? I told you not to bother me with simple matters. Send it to the farm." But when he saw me, I saw his cold, distant eyes gain a glimmer of interest. "Who is this?"
I heard the contempt in Snow's voice, barely concealed. "That's what I'm trying to tell you, Crane. This is Asterion and Ariadne. They just arrived from their homeland via a portal. We are here to get them registered in the Book of Fables." Crane looked up, looking between Bigby and Snow before he sighed dramatically. "Fine, Ms. Snow, do what you must. I shall be leaving. See that you keep things as usual when I'm gone." We all heard the door shut as Crane swept out of the office.
Snow yelled out into the ever-expanding cavern before us. "Bufkin! Get out here and bring The Book of Fables!" We heard a clattering in the distance before a high-pitched voice replied back. "Coming, Miss Snow!" It took about one to two minutes before we saw a small, green-winged monkey appear, flying over the bookshelves, carrying a beer in one foot with the book Snow had asked for in his hands. The flying monkey looked a little intoxicated.
"Bufkin, have you been drinking?" Snow asked, her tone flat. He looked bashful. "Only a little… maybe a drink or two. I never hurt anyone." Snow looked annoyed but didn't bring it up anymore. She was about to open the book when a loud pop filled the air. Behind us, an old woman with mystical fairy wings appeared, keeping her just barely off the ground.
"Hello, children," she said, her voice surprisingly young despite her aged appearance. "I am The Fairy Godmother. I am here for Asterion. I am the one who sent that portal for The Minotaur. I sent great magic out into the world in search of the only person that can save Fabletown from the destruction heading its way. The magic was to find The Chosen Oneand bring him here."
Listening to The Fairy Godmother, I couldn't help myself, and I asked, "What would happen to someone who entered the portal and was not The Chosen One?"
She responded right away, her gaze never truly leaving Asterion. "They would be transported to a random place here in the Mundane World. I have no control over where, only who is allowed and who isn't. Even you being here is an anomaly." She never really stopped looking at Asterion, inspecting him from head to toe. The tension started to get thicker and thicker. I could feel it in my throat before she let out a light, soft laugh, easily melting all of the tension in the air. It was like her every movement had purpose, oozing magic. I could tell she was a powerful being here in Fabletown.
She finally said why she was here. "I am here for Asterion. After seeing the prophecy from Delphi, I am going to assist in his training personally. Giving him a few foundational skills to help navigate life here in the Mundane World and be the hero he is destined to be."
POV: Asterion Minotaur
Hearing the witch before me, I was filled with uncertainty. After just arriving, she already wanted me to leave. What about Ariadne? I wasn't sure what to do. Stuck in my thoughts, I kept running through the different possibilities in my head when I heard Ariadne's voice, steadying me. "Brother, this woman is the one who saved us. The least we can do is hear her out. Go with her, and I will be here when you return. I'm sure she can bring you to me when you are finished." The Old Woman nodded, confirming Ariadne's unspoken question.
She gestured for me to come to her and take her hand. I went over to her, crossing the giant room in four purposeful strides. The Fairy Godmother, as she called herself, did not flinch in the slightest at my approach. She grabbed my hand with surprising strength for an old woman. "Listen, Asterion, we are about to teleport to my lab. Please try to keep your emotions under control when we land. If you cannot, I will be forced to defend myself and all others on the floor." I could feel my heartbeat increase when she told me to control my emotions. I could try, but the decision wasn't always mine.
Immediately, I felt my body get pulled in seemingly all directions, reality moving in a fast, twisted blur, swirling everything together until everything in my vision went white. Feeling myself be pushed out of the very air around me, I also felt the anxiousness leaving me. Landing on the ground, I easily found my footing. Looking around The Fairy Godmother's lab, I could see a couple of pots brewing unknown substances: one green, one purple, one pink. The Fairy Godmother spoke up before I could look at anything else. "Asterion, my dear, I know you must be very confused and scared. I thank you for staying calm. I am aware of your story from the myths and legends of this land. Might I say, you are a popular story here in The Mundane World. Placed before you are three potions: one is a Blessing of Control, one a Blessing of Knowledge, one a Blessing of Magic. You can only choose one. Choose carefully. But before you choose, place this necklace around your neck. It should allow you to speak your mind."
Grabbing the necklace out of The Fairy Godmother's hand, I placed it over my head, being careful to avoid my horns. It took a second, but I did manage to get it on.
"I wonder how this necklace will work… Wait, what is that? I can hear what I am thinking out loud!" The Fairy Godmother chuckled, a light, bubbly laugh, and started her explanation. "Asterion, this is just a regular necklace enchanted to let the wearer think out loud. The enchantment only lasts for one hour as the ingredients are quite expensive. I suggest we hurry along."
"Okay, Ms. Fairy," I said, the words feeling strange, yet liberating, on my tongue. "I would like the potion of control. I am tired of always following my impulses and not having a choice. I thought I was free when I left the Labyrinth, only to be reminded that I would always be shackled by my impulses no matter how hard I resisted. They always won in the end… So please, free me from myself."
The Fairy Godmother leaned over and placed her hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry, Asterion. If control is what you seek, then it is what you shall have." She walked over to the potions and grabbed the cauldron that was a light pink in color. "Drink this potion, Asterion; it will give you the control you seek. From now on, you shall be the Master of your own decisions. I am happy for you." Grabbing the potion, I immediately chugged the concoction down. I felt the thick liquid travel down my throat, expecting to feel something drastic happen. I was surprised to feel absolutely nothing.
That moment might be the greatest moment to happen to me in all my life. The absence of the nagging voice in the back of my head telling me to eat any "human" that I came across. No longer having to always control my emotions. If I got angry, people wouldn't die. I could get angry and still be in control of myself. Tears filled my eyes as my emotions flooded forth, no longer being suppressed. Finally having any semblance of control of my life was shocking to have, but also frightening. Using my lack of control as a shield, I was able to move through life shielded from my actions. Now, each and every one of my actions was my own. That thought was scary.
The Fairy Godmother again let out a giggle that just seemed to lift the energy in the room. "Watching you will not be boring, I can tell. The prophecy we received said that your journey will not be easy, but as a Fairy Godmother, I will try my best to prepare you for the journey ahead."
"Thank you, Fairy Godmother," I managed, my voice thick with emotion. "You have no idea what this means to me." She looked back with a knowing smirk. "Trust me, Asterion, I do know."
"My job as your temporary Fairy Godmother is to help you in any way possible, to get you ready for the challenge before you. I have one more gift for you before we go over 'The Prophecy'. It may take a lot out of you." I was confused for the briefest of moments before I saw her pull her wand out and start her chant, a playful twinkle in her eyes. "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo!"
Magic started to gather and swirl around me, sinking into my very being. I was confused what she was doing. She pulled a mirror out of seemingly nowhere and showed me my appearance. Standing at six feet, I was surprised to see a human face staring back at me. Yellow eyes stared back from a strong face equipped with a nice beard. Hair the color of pitch darkness. Some might say I finally looked like a prince.
Looking back at The Fairy Godmother, I ran up to her, my new human legs feeling oddly light. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I couldn't ask for anything else! You've made my dreams come true! Let's go show Ariadne my new look!" I saw The Fairy Godmother looking at me with a warm smile on her face. "Okay, my dear, let's go show Ariadne and go over the prophecy. Just give me one moment, and one thing to keep in mind is you can still transform back into your true form at will."
It took her not even three minutes, and she was ready. Already knowing what to do, I interlocked my fingers around hers and awaited the twisted weightlessness. It didn't take long before the familiar feeling washed over me. No longer having the possibility of raging out when I landed was an amazing gift I never thought I would receive. Ever since I'd landed in this new land, I had been blessed.
Appearing back in the Business Office, we landed right where we had departed, earning a sharp yelp from Ariadne and a surprised glance from both Snow and Bigby. When Ariadne looked over at us, and we locked eyes, I saw the wheels rolling in her head… "Asterion? Is that you…?"