beatrice_otter: Emma and Henry reading the book of fairy tales (Once Upon a Time)
[personal profile] beatrice_otter posting in [community profile] fancake
Fandom: Once Upon A Time
Characters/Pairings: Rumplestiltskin/Belle
Rating: teen
Length: 48k words
Creator Links:  [archiveofourown.org profile] fyre 
Theme: Historical AU, racebend, mythological creatures (oni), characters of color,

Summary: When her village is threatened, Michiko finds that aid comes in an unexpected form. But there is a price to be paid.

Reccer's Notes: I almost didn't read this one the first time, because I know nothing about Japanese mythology. But I'm glad I did, because [archiveofourown.org profile] fyre has done their usual awesome job.  Even in a very different setting and culture, Rumple and Belle are recognizably themselves.  But they fit in, because [archiveofourown.org profile] fyre did the hard work of figuring out what a character with those traits would be like in a whole different cultural context.  It works either as a Once Upon a Time fic or as an original fic on its own merits, which is true of many of the best historical AUs.

Fanwork Links: A Willow Before The Wind

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