2(a/n: Hey everyone! Just a short little one shot here i wanted to do. I might expand it into an actual story but i don't know. Anyway, enjoy this for now and Review!)
Finally, after long hours of hard work and trials, they had the page and the key.
Emma sat on the edge of the bed next to her old friend August and she presented the items they had recovered through much hardship and close calls.
August's eyes widened in surprise and a relieved expression appeared on his haggard face "You did it"
"That's right" said Emma with a hint of a smile "Now how about we let this author out because I have nothing but questions".
The last few days, numbering up to almost a few weeks, were draining. Emma, her family and friends were involved in a life or death race against Mr. Gold chasing clues to the mysterious Author, a fabled figure who seemed to know everything about everyone from the Enchanted Forest and held God-like power over their fates.
In recent days, Mr. Gold did his best to try and get the page which was central to his plans. His plans included unleashing this Author and alter history thus giving all Villains a happy ending and turn Emma, the Savior of Storybrooke, dark.
But his plans failed. Emma now had the page containing the Author and the key to his release.
Now, she was going to have a serious talk with this Author and get some answers.
"Emma" said Mary-Margret, softly "Please, this isn't just what Regina wanted but Gold wanted this too. He wanted to turn your heart dark".
Emma regarded her mother coldly "I'm not worried about this, are you?"
Her mother didn't say anything and neither did David her father. The two did everything that they could to ensure Emma's wellbeing and safety. They were the greatest heroes in Emma's life and were good people. At least, up until she discovered what they had done to ensure that Emma would be the one needed to shatter Regina's Dark Curse; the cost of the life of an innocent baby.
Right now, Emma wasn't in the mood to talk with her parents.
Emma looked to August "I have questions about me. He can tell us everything."
August shrugged "Who knows, he might"
Emma frowned "What do you mean?"
August shook his head slowly "Emma…I don't know much about the Author. Very few have met this guy. He kept to the shadows of history and silently did his job"
"Job?" repeated David, his eyebrows knitted together.
August nodded "According to some stories I have heard, the Author was charged by I don't know who or what, to stay in the shadows and witness the greatest stories then record them for posterity" His eyes slid over to the page "His prescience goes back eons, watching shadows dance across the cave walls of the earliest humans, he writes down poetry, tall-tales, storytellers, playwrights. He even wrote a bit about man named Walt".
Mary-Margret looked down at the page with the painting of a door on it "What happened to him?"
August shrugged "I don't know. Nobody knows the reason why he's locked behind that door, but whatever the reason, it must've been very serious if the Sorcerer himself step in and bind him to this page".
A grave silence fell on the room and all eyes were now on the page in Emma's hand.
Emma was beginning to feel unsure about all this. She wanted to find the answers to her questions, to know more as to why her life is the way it is, how could her parent's do such a terrible thing to a child and many other things. But from August's words, Emma was beginning to feel hesitant.
Something in her heart and in the corner of her mind told her to drop the page and walk away. There was something out of place. Something that felt like it was on the verge of going horribly wrong like a truck dangling off the edge of a cliff, ready to go over.
But Emma's thirst for answers overpowered her hesitation.
"He's still in there" murmured Emma "He still has the power to alter the book, to alter the course of everything".
Mary-Margret and David wanted to chip in their thoughts but didn't. They sat back and watched their daughter weigh her options. Even though they wanted to do what they can to help Emma to make the right choice, they knew it was best if Emma have some time to cool down and figure everything out for herself.
After a few long moments of silence, August grinned, "You sure have come a long way, from the woman who wouldn't believe".
Emma's expression softened a little, a warm smile tugged at the corners of her lips, "Yeah, I have". She exhaled deeply and rose to her feet.
It was time.
Emma placed the page at the foot of August's bed. She took the small brass key and lowered it to the keyhole of the painted door on the page.
Once the brass touched paper, surface of the paper glowed and the key sank into place within the keyhole. Emma turned the key. There was an audible click and Emma drew the key out of the page. The door in the picture swung open and the open doorway glowed a radiant golden light.
Emma took a step back and suddenly a miniature tornado of golden light and energy erupted from the page.
It spun at high velocity and leapt off the surface of the page and landed on the other side of the room.
The tornado of energy whirled about, causing a powerful wind to tear through the room and knock pictures off the walls, pull books off a nearby shelf and caused the lights in the room to flicker like candles.
In a matter of moments, the mini tornado grew and grew until it was the size of a grown man.
Within the human-sized tornado a silhouette began to form then grow more solid and Emma saw the shadowy shape became an actual being.
As quick as it was formed, the tornado vanished just as fast.
Once the tornado of light and energy died, Emma and the others saw the Author.
The Author was a short, pudgy man dressed in a grey jacket, a blue shirt and jeans.
He stood and he began to stretch his limbs, groaning with relief. The man turned to face the four. He had curly black hair that was turning grey, dark eyes and a short beard.
The man grinned at Emma and the others "Thank you so much! You have no idea how cramped it was in there!" he chuckled a little, shaking his head "Honestly, wouldn't it have killed them to give me a sofa or something!"
Emma stared at the man with curiosity. He wasn't exactly what she was expecting but he did look like an author, only a little on the portly side and looked kinda scraggly.
The man glanced around at Emma then to August then finally to David and Mary-Margaret "Do any of you by chance have a glass of water or something? I'm really parched. Spending all that time in there can make anybody parched"
"You're the Author?" asked Mary-Margaret, sounding a little surprised.
The man smiled a little and bowed his head "Indeed I am, but I hate being called by that boring title, please don't call me that"
"Well what do you like to be called?" asked Emma.
"My friends call me Marv" said the man, proudly.
Emma raised an eyebrow. Interesting name, she thought. She nodded "Ok, Marv, I'm Emma and-"
"Emma?" said the man in shock "Emma Swan?"
Emma nodded slowly "Yeah"
Marv paused for a moment, his eyes studied her a little and he grin broadly "I know everything about you" he looked to her mother and father "Mary-Margaret and David. Or is it Princess Snow White and Prince Charming?" the two looked Marv in amazement and fumbled for words.
Marv's eyes landed on August "And Pinocchio" he chuckled "You rascal you." August raised his eyebrows.
Marv chuckled a little "Oh yes, I know you all. I know you as well as I know my brothers and sisters. I mean, I recorded your stories and watched over you each of you since you were babies".
Emma thought it kinda creepy that he mentioned that. She didn't like the fact that there was someone watching her and wrote down everything about her but then again, it gave her some comfort.
It was kind of like having a guardian angel. But now that the Author, or Marv, was here she will be able to get the answers she wanted.
"Marv"
"Hmm?" said the portly man, turning to Emma. "I-I have questions for you" said Emma, a little hesitantly as her mouth went dry.
Marv's eyes twinkled and an expression crossed his face that Emma couldn't place. Happiness? Triumph? Mischief? Whatever it was, Emma didn't like it.
It made something in her scream "RUN!" but she wanted answers and she was going to get them.
Marv nodded "I know and I have the answers that you seek". He held up a finger "However…"
Of course, thought Emma bitterly, there's always a catch.
"There is something I need you to do for me first" said Marv
"Emma" said David with concern but she cut him with a glare. Emma didn't want to deal with her parents right now.
She wanted answers now and she didn't care what she had to do. "What do I have to do?" asked Emma.
Marv shook his head "Oh its nothing bad, like those silly deals with Rumpelstiltskin. Its just that I've been locked away for a long time and I would like you…to buy me a drink and catch me up on the last few hundred years".
Emma blinked in surprise. Not exactly what she expected but it was better than any deal with Mr. Gold that she's had in the time that she's known him.
She stammered "Uh…yeah, yeah sure. No problem" "Excellent!" said Marv cheerfully, rubbing his hands together "I am very famished"
"Lets go then" said Emma
"Led the way".
The two left the room, leaving a bewildered and rather concerned Mary-Margaret, David and August behind.
"Did that just seriously happen?" David asked Mary-Margaret.
She nodded slowly "Yeah"
"Good, then I'm not the only one who saw that" said David.
August shook his head "Something's not right"
"What is?" asked David.
The former puppet shrugged "I don't know but something about that guy seems…wrong". "We'll keep a close eye on him" said Mary-Margaret "You can count on that"
"Good" murmured August.
If August's feelings were right, and they were on occasion, than Marv may prove to be an enemy far more powerful and more evil than anything Storybrooke has ever faced.
As Marv and Emma left the Sorcerer's manor and made their way to Emma's car, Marv glanced sideways to his liberator "So Emma, I have to ask, do you read?"
"Um, yeah, occasionally" said Emma, a little confused by the question "Why?"
"Are you familiar with the works of a Mr. Carver Edlund?"
The name did ring a bell but Emma couldn't place it right away. She nodded a little "That name sounds familiar, why?"
Marv shrugged "No reason". They climbed into the yellow beetle and drove off into the night.
Unbeknownst to Emma, as the beetle made its way through the dark forest road back to town, Marv had a malicious gleam in his eye and a knowing smirk on his face.
He was going to have so much fun with these folks.
Yes sir, so much fun, thought Marv, just as the glowing grid of lights that was Storybrooke came into view.
The End
(a/n: Well, what do you think? It was a silly little thing i had floating around in my head as i watched Metatron at work in Season 9 of Supernatural and that got me thinking of "what if he was the Author?" This was the result. I know, sucks that there's a cliffhanger or whatever but that's how it is. I may or may not make an official story where Metatron's actions play out but...who knows? Anyway, review and let me know what you think!)
