#Sheriff of nottingham fanfic

[myveryownfanfiction]

Rickmas day 23: eve of revelations

18+ MINORS AND THOSE WITHOUT AGE IN BIO DNI

tags: @illiana-mystery, @iobsessoverfictionalmen, @deepperplexity, @smilingformoney

warnings: swearing

people danced around each other as the ball continued on. Music swelled as I broke away from one of the men maid Marion had invited. I ducked away into a hallway before running into Marion.

“enjoying the ball?” She asked. I gave her a smile. “I know. I don’t know where some of these people came from. I did not invite all of them.”

“Don’t get me wrong Marion, it isn’t as big as it could be. But half these guests could take this place down. Especially with how much they’ve been drinking.” I teased. She looped her arm through mine before guiding me towards the courtyard. “I’ve escaped at least two marriage proposals already.” I whispered, bowing my head as we passed one of the lords. “From men old enough to be my father no less.”

“Well why not?” Marion giggled. “They’ll pass in a few years and leave you well cared for.” I shuddered as I looked at her.

“how much have you had to drink Marion?” I laughed. She shushed me as she giggled.

“shhh. It’s not lady like to drink in excess.” I rolled my eyes as I steadied her.

“alright Marion.” I said with a smile. “Besides. When I marry I want it to be for love not just status.”

“and what pray tell does that entail?” Marion said.

“like you and robin.” I whispered back. “A man who can provide for me. Who loves me as I am. Who won’t try to hide me away in some…castle…” I paused as the man I was thinking about entered the courtyard. Marion followed my gaze and smiled. Letting go of my arm, she pressed her cheek to mine in goodbye.

“I do believe you’ve found your man.” She whispered. “Good luck.” I frowned as she hurried away, watching her retreating form.

“My lord.” I bowed my head as the sheriff stopped next to me. George chuckled as he shook his head. “What’s so funny?”

“how long have we known each other?” George said, offering me his arm. “And you still insist on calling me lord.” I gently hit his arm.

“Shut up you ass.” I laughed as he led me out towards the gardens. “How have things been in Nottingham?”

“shit.” George said. “The lords keep encroaching. I’ve had to send the wolves out after them.” I leaned into him slightly as the cold wind cut through me. George moved his cape to cover me slightly before continuing on. “And every lady and their mother are sending eligible matches to the castle every day. It’s honestly getting frustrating.”

“I’ll bet.” I said, looking over at him. I bit my lip as I felt my chest tighten. Of course he’d choose someone of standing. Someone who could give him everything he wanted. I swallowed down my jealousy as we continued our stroll.

“and what of you? How many suitors have you turned away tonight?” George teased as he gently bumped my shoulder. “Or have you found the one here tonight?” His cheeks tinted pink, although it was hard to tell if it was from the cold or something else.

“two proposals. I turned them both down.” I shrugged. “My heart already belongs to another.” George nodded, his head tilted down.

“ah.” He intoned. We walked on in silence for a minute. “So it would be amiss if I were to ask…” I turned towards George, eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

“George…” I looked at him, cheeks heating up. He looked at me bashfully. “Are you…asking to court me?” With a wink, George broke away from me. He bowed low before looking up at me.

“if you’ll have me.” He said, voice soft in the night. “You look like you’ve had a revelation.”

“I just didn’t realize that my sentiments were returned.” I admitted. George kissed the back of my hand as I smiled at him. “I’d love for you to court me George.” He smiled brightly as he straightened.

“it would be my pleasure.” George said, taking up our previous position and continuing through the courtyard.

[starry-eyesanddaydreams]

Payback

Sheriff of Nottingham x Reader

Couldn't get my mind off the sexy Sheriff, so here's a sequel to Under the Tree No actual plot, just George being a beast in the sheets. Enjoy! ;)

Tumblr won't let me post the whole story here, for some reason, so here's the Wattpad link

Payback - Sheriff of Nottingham x Reader

[arwenkenobi48]

Robin Hood Minific: Prince John And The Ghost

Prince John claims he doesn’t believe in ghosts, but a mysterious encounter is about to prove otherwise…

“…an’ legend has it, as legen’ always does, that the ghost of that headless execution’r goes a-wanderin’ through Nottin’ham when the moon is full, lookin’ fer a new head to chop off.” As the Sheriff of Nottingham finished his gruesome tale, he took note of audience’s reaction. Sir Hiss looked slightly disturbed, Trigger was listening with furrowed brow in concentration, Nutsy’s knees were knocking to a cartoonish degree, but Prince John’s reaction really took the cake.

The lion’s fur was standing on end, his eyes were as wide as dinner plates and his entire body was quivering like a golden blancmange. Every few seconds, he made a little whimpering sound like the beginning of a sneeze and in typical Prince John fashion, his thumb was slowly finding its way to his mouth. It took every bit of effort for the sheriff to not burst out laughing.

“Well now, how’s that fer a scary story?” Prince John immediately snapped out of his terror-induced paralysis. “Pah! Headless executioner, indeed. How would he even be able to see where he was going? What a lot of poppycock!”

Little did Prince John know that he and his courtiers weren’t the only ones who had overheard the story. A certain group of outlaws were also listening in on the macabre fable and had seen his reaction. Robin Hood ducked behind the castle wall and whispered to his companions. “Friar Tuck, put your hood up. I think I’ve got an idea…”

1 hour later…

Sir Hiss leaned on the sill of the royal bedroom window, a gentle breeze ruffling the ends of his cape. “Ahhh, what a fine night this is…” Resting his head on the end of his tail, positioned like a hand, he gazed up into the sky. “And what a beautiful full moon that is, too.” Prince John felt the fur on the back of his neck stand up. “D-d-did you say a…a full m-m-m-moon, Hiss?” “Yesss, come and have a look, sire. It’s sssimply lovely.”

Prince John stared up at the moon, feeling increasingly uncomfortable. “Uh, it’s fine enough, as full moons go, I suppose,” His words were more muffled than he wanted. “Are you alright, sssire? You sssseem a little on edge.” “On edge? Me? Rubbish, Sir Hiss! I’m as not on edge as a king can be!”

Suddenly, there was a loud, low clang from the courtyard below. It sounded like the solemn toll of a solitary church bell, but it was really just Little John banging two large metal pots together on the other side of the ramparts. “GAH!” Prince John leapt about a foot in the air. “What was th-th-that!?”

“Did it work, Rob?” Little John whispered hopefully. “Looks like it, Johnny. He’s coming into the courtyard now.” Robin watched excitedly as Prince John and Sir Hiss entered the courtyard. Grasping the hilt of his sword tightly to hide the fact that his hands were shaking, Prince John called out into the dark: “Come out with your hands up, whoever you are!” A strange groaning sound emanated from just outside the castle walls.

“Oooooohhhh…ooooooooohhhhhhh…” A hooded figure emerged from the shadows, seeming to float above the ramparts, draped in a dark cloak and wielding an axe. “Bewaaaaare, Prince Johnnnn!” It bellowed. “It is I, the Headless Executioner! Wooooohooooo!” Friar Tuck was enjoying himself tremendously, swinging his wooden axe about as a camouflaged Little John held him up. Sir Hiss saw right through the disguise, but the same could not be said for Prince John.

“AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGHHHH!!!!” Shrieking like a mandrake, the cowardly lion turned tail and fled back to the safety of his tower, clinging to Sir Hiss like a reptilian lifeline. “Help! Save me! I’m too young to die! MOMMYYYYY!” Practically falling over his own tail in his haste, he scrambled up the stairs, sprinted to his room, leapt into bed and hid under the covers.

“Heeheeheeheeeee!” Friar Tuck guffawed once he and others had retreated to the safety of Sherwood Forest. “Did you see the look on his face? I guess I do look pretty spooky with my hood up!” “Nah, it was Robin’s ghost impression that frightened him,” chuckled Little John. “Ah, but you’re forgetting, old boy,” Robin smiled. “If you hadn’t been there to make Friar Tuck look like a hovering ghost, none of this ever would’ve happened. Hmm, I wonder what Prince John’s up to now…”

When he was finally sure that the Headless Executioner hadn’t followed him up the stairs to his room, Prince John peered out from under his bedsheets. He had been sucking his thumb so much that it was feeling a little sore. “Uh, Sir Hiss? Are we safe now?”

“Yrsss!” Said a muffled voice. “Hiss? Where are you?” “Yr sssrttrn rn me!” When he finally emerged from beneath the royal backside, Sir Hiss wheezed for air. “Yes, we’re sssafe!” He grumbled. “And I don’t think we’ll be requesting ghost sssstories from the Sheriff any time ssssoon!”

The sheriff in question, meanwhile, had slept through the whole adventure and was none the wiser. But his vulture henchmen, Trigger and Nutsy, had only witnessed Prince John’s legendary display of abject terror. “Well, looky there, Trigger.” Chortled Nutsy. “You’d’a think Prince John’d just seen a ghost!”

The End

[cult-of-the-eye]

Y'all into angsty gay robin hood?

The Sheriff of Nottingham watched Robin Hood ride off into the night.

He didn't want to, in fact, his whole body yearned to look away, not that that would make a difference, he mused as his eyes refused to leave the forest. Hood had been his downfall, his enemy, the one thing that the Sheriff hated with all the muscles in his body but still, his grey eyes didn't budge. He forced himself to remember. Remember all that Hood had done to the Sheriff, but all that came flooding back was a time, simpler than now, but somehow, infinitely more painful. A time when Hood, was just Robin.

(find the rest on wattpad at p_a_r_r_o_t)

(don't read the other stuff, it's embarrassing)

[korpuskristae]

I wrote a Hans Gruber fanfic but it didn’t get the attention I wanted it to, so it got me wondering, what Alan Rickman characters do people want to read about? Besides our dear dungeon bat ofc.

[violetlunette]

Ideas for Villainous Characters for your Yuusona / Ocs in Twisted Wonderland

To help fanfic writers and artists, I thought I’d make a list of characters/items that creators could use to make their own twst characters. Feel encouraged to add if you have any ideas as well! The bigger the list, the better!

These are all things that present a challenge to the heroes in the Disney films or are connected to an antagonistic force, such as the poison apple being connected to the Evil Queen, or are just shown in a wicked light, such as the vultures from the same movie who just follow the queen looking devious.

Below are things that feature from some of the other animated movies that aren't featured in the main story line. (Not all the movies but I'll get to them.)

Live action, games, and etc. will get their own list eventually.

Peter Pan:

*Captain Hook

*Smee

*Any of the other Pirates

*Tik-Tok the Crocodile (debatable)

*The Mermaids (They literally said their intentions were to DROWN Wendy when they first meet her. I'm counting them)

*Tinkerbell (Debatable, but considering she tricked her friends into trying to murder a child, then betrayed her friends to vicious pirates with the only price being not to harm PETER, I’m counting her here. And--even though she “redeems” herself and is labeled a “hero”--she’s primarily an antagonistic force towards Wendy throughout the movie.)

The Indians (Again, debatable, but they were going to kill a bunch of kids)

The Jungle Book:

*Shere Khan

*Kaa

*King Louie (debatable)

*Louie’s monkeys

Sword in the Stone:

*Mad Madam Mim

*The pike fish

*The hawk

*The wolf

Cinderella:

*Drizzella

*Anastasia

*The Key Tremaine uses to lock Cinderella away

*The clock which awoke Cinderella from her dreams and ticked down to end the spell

Pinocchio:

*The Coachman

*Stromboli

*Lampwick (debatable)

*Monstro (Note: This is the name of Azul’s lounge)

*Pleasure Island itself (Note: stated to be a location in the Playful Land Event. However, I argue this as that was NOT Pleasure Island. Pleasure Island was a place that tempted you to be your worst and then cursed you for it. Playful Land just had you drop your guard and use rules against you. It’s basically just a Disney remake.)

The Black Cauldron:

*The Horned King

*The Black Cauldron

*The Wyrms

*The Witches

*Goblin Dude

*The skeleton warriors

Robin Hood:

*Prince John

*Hiss

*The Sheriff of Nottingham

Beauty & The Beast:

*The Enchantress (debatable)

*Leboff

*The Asylum Doctor

*The Wolves

*The Rose that counts down how long The Beast has to fall in love (Debatable)

Mulan:

*Shaun Yu

*The Falcon

*The Huns

*The Avalanche (debatable)

Pocahontas (no connection to history, please):

*Radcliff

*The “drums” of war

*The settlers (debatable in the film)

*Kokocum (debatable)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame:

*The Flames from Hellfire

*The Robed Figures

*Clopin and the Romani People (debatable. They did try to hang the heroes, after all.)

Nightmare Before Christmas:

*Oogie Boogie

*Jack Skellinton (Debatable)

*The Trick or Treaters

*The Doctor

*The creepy doll

*Snake that ate the Christmas Tree

*Oogie’s bugs

[priderock-inc]

Since King John and Sir Hiss would appear in a fanfic of yours I assume, are they CEO and assistant respectively?

Yes, they are!

(I hate Richard so he's out of the picture.)

John Prince is the CEO; nobody can remember his assistant's name, so he's just called Hiss because of the lisping, drawn-out way he pronounces the letter S.

(Does the Sheriff have a name? I don't remember, so I'm calling him Mervyn in honor of the Robin Hood: Men in Tights character. Mervyn Wolffe has a nice ring to it. Either way, he's the CIO.)

Robin Hood and his Merry Men are hackers. Extremely prolific ones. They work for, and occasionally against, Nottingham Management.

[bluedalahorse]

I’ve been thinking about the fairy deal question of would you want more YR forever but the price is no longer having fic and I don’t know if I would change my answer but I’ve thought through my answer a lot more and I want to put so many more asterisks on it.

So for me I answered from a place of like… creative ethics, I guess? YR was Lisa’s story first, and she had a beginning and end for it and wanted to write it in three seasons. It’s obvious she cherishes it, but she has other stories to tell now. The actors gave us their all for three seasons, but they’re all growing up and will be moving on to new projects and I’m excited to see what they do next. So the notion of some fae queen putting Lisa and the cast and the crew in a magical prison of having to perform for us forever just feels… not so great. I know that’s not what the question was asking but now I can’t unsee the fae nightmare scenario. Blame Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell if you must!

On the other side of creative ethics is that I feel like what we call fanfic is intrinsic to the human condition, and therefore humans should be allowed and encouraged to do fanfic. Like centuries ago someone would tell a story about Robin Hood to their kids and then eventually one of those kids would tell a story to their friend like “ok here’s my Robin/Little John/Maid Marian OT3 hurt-comfort epic” and their friend would be like “excuse me no the vibe is Robin/Sheriff of Nottingham enemies to lovers” and then they would have had a ship war about it. Lisa et al might own the legal rights to Young Royals but everything about the way they ended the series felt like they were lovingly handing it over to the fans. They trusted us to envision an infinite number of futures for the characters. And that feels worth mentioning.

And, even if Lisa wanted us to never write fanfic again, I feel like we’d still have the right to write it, and we should probably write it more actually. I had a friend growing up who was on the secret underground Vampire Chronicles mailing lists Anne Rice disapproved of. I think this is badass.

Here’s where the fae queen would try to tempt me… they’d remind me that my favorite characters aren’t always featured as heavily in fanfic, and that sometimes they’re featured in ways that don’t vibe as much with what I love about canon. That I am more likely to get the characterizations I want from Eternal Canon. And I admit, I am very likely to click backward when I see stories where August is flattened to an uncomplicated villain, Sara and Felice are solely Wilmon’s cheerleaders/flatterers, and Good Mom Linda vs Bad Mom Kristina plays out with No Nuance. Among other things! Like, yes, sure, I know there would be a great temptation for me even just to see more incredible acting from my kids Frida and Malte. I do like watching what they do with their faces and body language. You’ve got me there, fae queen…

However! I am still not ready to surrender to the fae queen and give up fanfic just yet. Because the reality is, we’re all writing fanfic to express our relationship to the text and wrestle with it a bit, and that includes me. Getting to explore August’s continued recovery, and his relationship to family and friendship with Nils, is something that mattered to me. I enjoyed figuring out the balance of writing Nils in his early 20s, and figuring out what it would be like for him to openly date boys and have a boyfriend, while still not having him be like… a gushing hopeless romantic of a person who makes Pinterest boards for his wedding? And then thinking about another story I haven’t written yet, connected to that fic linked above, where Vincent ends up being the first to get married but also the first to get divorced, and his daughter has ADHD too and he’s seeing so much of himself in her, and he confesses late at night to Nils and August that he’s worried he’ll fuck her up the same way he got fucked up by his parents. And then, in the story I’m writing now, I found an opportunity to write Linda as like a full-on human who sometimes wants things for herself independent of her kids, but also that’s really fraught for her, for reasons. Also I want to explore Sara as a grown up—sometimes strong and sometimes vulnerable—and have her break free of toxic capitalism, because she’s gotten better at her relationships to people but she’s fallen into the “work should be your life’s calling” fallacy and her bosses are taking advantage of her. I have a lot of things I want to write. And those things matter too, even if I’m not always sure who the audience for them is, and even if I wish sometimes that they were fics available for me to read that I didn’t have to write myself.

So the fairy queen can go skipping off to play with some other mortal for now. I’ve got chores to do and a heatwave to avoid anyway.

[forthegothicheroine]

Yet another fanfic idea I won't write, but you know who should go up against Alan Rickman's Sheriff of Nottingham? Not the prince of thieves, but an exceptional thief: Hans Gruber. Cancel this Christmas!

[deepperplexity]

🎄 RICKMAS - a challenge for all creators who love Alan Rickman or any of his characters! 🎄

HI DARLINGS! 2020 I created Snapemas, 2021 I converted it to Rickmas and I’m hopeful about keeping this tradition going for many years to come. I have my darlings to thank for that! You have asked me, even before Rickmas 2021 ended, about what’s going to happen with Rickmas this year - even asking me for specific continuations before I had even posted the last fic for last year's Rickmas 😂👍 - which helped me see how important this is to continue with. So, I know you’re excited about this tradition I’ve started and will continue with for as long as I possibly can, but I still need you to help spread the word and help the creators joining in to spread their work too. We create free content because we love it, but we share it to have people join us. So, share fanwork, share content, spread stuff all over and show your appreciation towards all creators working hard out of love - or spite perhaps 😂❤

Now, you all know the drill! I will give one prompt for each day up until the 24th of December. Do with it what you wish - make it the theme of the fic/drawing/song/video/etc., make it a feature or simply mention it in a corner. It’s all good no matter how you choose to create with these prompts! All creative things are welcome, everyone is welcome to join in the fun and if you do one or all prompts is completely up to you!

I’m hosting this lovely event to create more content, to allow fans to connect and build the fandom further. There has been so many rumours about the Rickmaniac fandom dying, the Snapedom dying, there not being a fanbase for certain characters etc., but I must be in completely different circles from those who think that because I only see everything growing and growing - WHICH I LOVE!

So, let’s build our fandom universe further this December!

This year’s tag is rickmas2022 - make sure to tag your work with it so we can all find your posts darlings - and I’m hoping that even more creators and consumers join in the fun this year!

Let’s yet again spread some love for our dear Alan Rickman and his characters this year!

On to the challenge list! ...drum roll please...

💚 RICKMAS 2022 💚

Home For Christmas

Friends Are Family

Glittery Mishap

Biting Cold

Mistletoes & Secrets

Sleigh Riding

Hot Drinks & Sweet Treats

To Be Alone

Strings Attached

Gingerbread & Peppermints

Forgotten Gift

Warming Fire

Repetitive Carols

Icy Roads

Frosty Glass

A Folly Holiday

Dying Embers

Snowstorm

Old Traditions

Twinkling Christmas Tree

Snowball Madness

Slipping & Sliding

Cherishing Joy

Christmas Party

Good luck everyone and I hope December will be good for you!

💚 Lots of love, and jolly holiday wishes, Plex 💚

DON’T FORGET TO TAG WITH rickmas2022!

Creator tag: @smilingformoney @groovy-lady @snowblossomreads @crazysleepydreams @imwithyoutiltheendofthelinebucky

(Posted: 2022-11-18)

[slytherinsight221]

Who loves this man as much as I do?? Come read my AU fic all about our dear Sheriff !

[myveryownfanfiction]

Rickmas day 1: December moon

18+ MINORS AND THOSE WITHOUT AGE IN BIO DNI

tags: @illiana-mystery, @iobsessoverfictionalmen, @deepperplexity, @smilingformoney

warnings: swearing

george and I rose through the forest. I pressed my face into his back as the wind blew through.

“it seems to keep getting colder.” I whispered. George nodded. “Before long we’re going to have to hole up in the castle.”

“Hole up in our room you mean.” George grumbled. “It’s going to be drafty. Whole damn castle needs to be redone to fix whatever drafts they can.”

“you and I both know that isn’t going to happen.” I said, laughing as George ducked to avoid a branch. “We just need to find a new castle. Or a cottage.”

“I don’t want to move back into a cottage.” George grumbled. We broke through the edge of the forest and I looked up.

“Even with a view like that every night?” I asked, leaning back to take in the moon. George glanced over his shoulder at me before looking up. “I could get used to this.” I sighed as I settled against his back again.

“if that’s what will make you happy then consider it done.” George said. “It is a nice view. Almost as nice as the one I get to see everyday.”

“George.” I whined as I felt my cheeks heat up.

“now let’s get inside and warmed up. Maybe we can see the moon from a window.” George said as he dismounted and reached up to help me.

[dalishkadan]

since the adoribull fairytale zine sales are closed, i can finally share my submission! idk if anyone was specifically looking for a robin hood au, but this was a lot of fun to write. :D

[arwenkenobi48]

Mini Fanfic Concept: Prince John Meets A Dragon

Starting my beloved dragonsona, Reverie

“Uh, sssire?” “Oh, not now, Hiss, can’t you see I’m busy?” Prince John didn’t even look away from his golden mirror. “Yes, yes, I know, sir, but there’s a…” Sir Hiss stammered nervously. “There’s a what, Hiss? Come on, spit it out!” “There’s a dragon on the castle roof, your majesty.”

The Sheriff of Nottingham stood with Trigger and Nutsy at his side in the middle of the courtyard, staring in open-mouthed alarm at the dragon as it sat coiled around the top of the tallest tower. “Well, criminently! How’re we gon’ get that thing down from the roof?” The dragon’s green eyes peered down sternly at the stout wolf. “I can hear you, you know.”

With a simultaneous squawk of horror, Nutsy and Trigger promptly hid behind their canine commander. “It can talk, Sheriff! It done spoke to us! What we gonna do!?” “Now now, you two, don’t lose yer heads.” This was the worst thing the Sheriff could have said. “Lose our heads!? EEEEEEK!” Nutsy ran for his life. “Get your tail feathers back here, you coward!” Trigger flapped after him. The Sheriff shook his head and facepalmed. “Oh, why’d I even bother?”

While all this was going on, Prince John and Sir Hiss entered the courtyard. “Sheriff, where’s the dragon?” Prince John demanded. “I’m up here!” A strange voice replied. Spreading its massive wings, the dragon glided down from the tower and stood before the astonished villains. “Good afternoon, Prince John. My name is Reverie. I’ve heard about the recent string of robberies in your kingdom and thought you could use a royal guard-dragon. What do you say?”

Prince John’s fur stood on end as he cowered in the presence of this colossal creature. “Oh…mommy…” he began to suck his thumb, but it had barely entered his mouth before he tipped over backwards and fainted, his paws sticking up in the air like a stunned goose. In spite of themselves, Sir Hiss and the Sheriff both laughed at their inept monarch’s predicament. Reverie glanced sheepishly at the two of them. “Oh dear. Was it something I said?”

[wonderbatforever]

DEAR ROBIN HOOD FELLAS,

I proudly declare that “The Master At Arms” is finally out, on this Guyday and I can’t contain my excitement!

You’ll find it in Wattpad, Ao3, and Fanfiction.net under the username WonderWomanForEver. For you, fellow Greeks, there’s also a Greek version of it (solely in Wattpad though).

I really hope you like it, it meets your expectations and I am literally begging you for some constructive criticism because I sincerely can’t judge whether I write in character or not... Anyway, enjoy it and THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR CONTINUAL SUPPORT!!!

@rosemunds @puggledy-huggledy-is-not-a-pig @thorntoncrusadepost @dumbassunderthemountain @chaoticbitheatrekid @songsoficeandcj @let-djaqsayfuck @knights-of-sherwood-forest @guyofgisbourne @nfcomics @sunflowers-insherwood

[treatian]

The Chronicles of the Dark One:  The Dark Curse

Chapter 78: Useful Information

He should have known. He could have guessed, the moment that Nimue had told him a Dark One had tracked the potion he needed to Oz, it should have been unfailingly obvious that it would be with Zelena. How could it not be? That girl spent all her time in the Emerald City, in the palace that had been built by the Wizard, who had collected magical artifacts to use with others. Naturally, the Elixir of the Wounded Heart would have been with him. Or rather it had been until Zelena turned him into a flying monkey. Now the Elixir was in her possession. He hadn't a clue if she even knew what she truly possessed, but he knew one thing…he couldn't go after it himself.

Zelena was smart, she was a clever little witch, and though they'd been moved she'd had those shoes in her possession long enough to do who knew what with him. Even if she hadn't planned on despising him and leaving the day that they'd parted ways, he trusted that her castle was fortified against him. He trusted that if he appeared in that realm, she would know about it and have none of it. No, she couldn't kill him, but he also couldn't risk her finding out the reason that he was there. If he wasn't successful, then she'd protect that potion with her life, and he'd never see it…if it was even necessary. Nimue had said that the issue with his heart going black was a risk, but one that was a long way away. He didn't even know if he'd ever come to truly need it in his lifetime.

Still, he'd searched through the bobbles and instructions that Jefferson had left him and found only one way into the Land of Oz. It was a single potion that when sloshed onto a mirror would take the individual to the room of doors they'd encountered when they'd gone to the Land Without Color. This meant that it wasn't a direct line to Oz; it was simply a direct line to any realm someone wished to go to. That made the potion highly valuable. Was this really what he was willing to waste it on?

No, he wasn't. At least not at first. It would be years, Nimue had said, and so he'd begun to bother himself with other things, like master the use of the fairy wand he'd acquired so long ago. But while Nimue had said the change to his heart was not a threat, it was clear that one of the Dark Ones disagreed. The moment he'd made up his mind not to use the potion, he'd felt that sting across his chest once more. He'd diverted the magic, used his own to chase it away. But someone in his head was playing tricks on him, and every time he got too involved in doing something else, the pain would spike. Clearly, someone disagreed with the great Nimue, and they were sending him the message the only way they could, but who was it? If he knew who he could talk to them himself and not just through Nimue! He could search through memories and materials, it would give him a hint! But when he tried to isolate a voice, come up with the name of the Dark One he should speak to about the pain, none arrived, and he was certain that if he talked to Nimue again, she'd give him the same answer. That left him with one option. He had to send someone for the cordial. It was the only way he'd get peace and be able to work.

So who was he to send? Well, the most straightforward answer was the least likely at the moment. Jefferson. He could talk to Jefferson, the boy still had his hat, he could simply have him go and retrieve it, and then he'd have no use for the potion at all.

But he couldn't. He'd been watching Jefferson ever since he'd left to go to his wife and new baby. Six months ago, his wife had died. He'd been left alone with his daughter, and his mental state…it was dark. He watched him enough to know that when he was with his daughter, his face lit up brighter than the sun, but the moment she was asleep, he hung his head, he cried, he surrendered to a different kind of mad darkness. He considered asking the old fellow to help, even wondered if it might give him a sense of purpose again, but as he watched him sit by the fireplace one night, head in his hands, shoulders hunched…he couldn't bring himself to do it. It had been years since Jefferson had gone to Oz, even then, he'd had issues with Zelena and the Wizard, now he was grieving and out of practice. Maybe one day he'd be fit for service again, but at the moment he was far from the ideal candidate.

He needed someone else. Someone talented enough to sneak into Oz undetected, fetch the cordial, and bring it back. He needed someone who could be bought, someone desperate enough that they might try something crazy.

"Show me the one I need," he ordered his glass ball one night when he'd been fiddling with his potions and felt the tug on his heart again. The image that appeared before him was of a boy, someone he'd never seen before. He was handsome, golden locks that he was sure women would swoon over. He appeared to be at a pub, sitting alone, nursing an ale. As he idly twisted the cup in front of him, he could make out the image of a lion tattoo on his wrist. Interesting, though he wore an apron, there was a hint of something more to him. But what was it?

He gasped.

He felt his hand automatically clutch the crystal ball in his hand, ensuring that he wouldn't drop it, but then surrendered himself to the inevitable. This was a vision. One of the future but the very near future.

Tomorrow.

It would happen tomorrow.

As soon as he knew it, he registered the fact that he was seeing back inside that pub his mystery man had been sitting in. That very man was now working the bar, pouring ale, getting drinks, but also listening to a man who was sitting there.

John, the Seer whispered in his ear. Little John.

Looking the man over, he suddenly had a new definition for the word irony.

"I have a fresh lead," the man stated to his potential thief. "King Midas's carriage is passing through town tomorrow, and he'll only have a few of his guards with him."

"You know I haven't so much as lifted a penny since Marian and I got married," the man retorted. "Look around. This is my new life."

"But you're not a barkeep…you're a thief."

Ah yes, his potential thief was gaining more and more of that potential every moment. And now he had a name for the wife. Marian. That was useful information.

But before he could contemplate the importance of that, the vision shifted. The pub he was in was suddenly very quiet. And his thief was talking to a man dressed in black clothes. A guard…one of Regina's? It was the right color. That gave him a potential location, somewhere in Regina's Kingdom.

"Well, I had to see this for myself," the guard stated in a mocking tone. "Robin of Locksley walking the straight and narrow. Nice apron. M'lady…"

Suddenly the vision was filled with a pretty woman, olive skin and dark hair, who appeared less than excited to see the man before her. He on the other hand was very excited. Robin of Locksley and his wife Marian. Not only did he have their names but also a location. Locksley located just north of Sherwood Forest and certainly a part of Regina's Kingdom.

That was all valuable information, but he could feel his chest squeezing now for a reason far different than his heart problems. He'd be damned if he forced this vision to end now. He wanted every last detail of it. Even the unamused "Sheriff" reply the woman gave was informative.

It told him she detested him with every bone in her body.

"What can I do for you, Nottingham?" Robin questioned, pulling the guard's attention off of his wife. It was a very telling kind of attention he'd been paying her. The kind that made his own stomach curdle. He may have been the Dark One, but at least he had a moral standard he'd never sink below, unlike this fellow.

"What can you do for me?" the Sheriff asked, helping himself to some ale. "Well, for starters, your taxes are overdue."

There was a bang. In his head, he saw someone pound a notice into the door. Tax notice. More useful information.

"I need time," the man insisted.

"Well, because I'm in a generous mood, I'm giving you two days. After that, I'll have no choice but to shutter your tavern and throw you in debtor's prison. And poor old Marian here will have no arms to hold her but mine."

"She'd never be with you," Robin growled, staring at the man.

"I can speak for myself," Marian insisted. "I'd never be with you," she stated, looking at the Sheriff with even more disgust than he'd thought was possible to muster.

"Well, when you are on the street, and your husband is in jail, perhaps you'll see my appeal."

"I'll find your money. Somehow."

"Really? Two days."

He pulled himself out of his vision with a smile. This conversation hadn't happened yet. Tomorrow afternoon it would, and then the countdown would begin. In three days, he'd have his potion.