The Blue Fairy aka Mother Superior

[Myril]

Overview of other topics discussing the Blue Fairy:
There has been discussions about the Blue Fairy in other topics, and in some topics created to discuss nearly the same. Here a few links if someone wants to see what was discussed there.

THEORY: The Blue Fairy is the True Puppet-Master
https://oncepodcast.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=1887

Blue — Is she really good?
https://oncepodcast.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=2052

Blue Fairy = Fate
https://oncepodcast.com/forums//viewtopic.php?p=42202

Does the Blue Fairy Have her own agenda?
https://oncepodcast.com/forums//viewtopic.php?p=16546

And were the discussion mostly is about the Blue Fairy:

THE REAL BIG BAD!!! Theories
https://oncepodcast.com/forums//viewtopic.php?p=41187

WHO IS THE PUPPET MASTER
https://oncepodcast.com/forums//viewtopic.php?p=17294

there are probably more but didn’t want to spent all morning searching for it.

[Myril]

(Trying to revive this topic, being a little tired of umpteenth topics created new discussing the same thing all over the place while we neglect this nice place called character discussion)

Some thoughts about the Blue Fairy and her power, her magic:

Morraine: I heard about it when I was in the trenches. The other soldiers talked about it. Reul Ghorm is an ancient being that rules the night. The original power.
Baelfire: Bigger than Papa, or worse than Papa?
Morraine: Bigger than anything.

Some call the Blue Fairy the ultimate power, guess because it was said on the show she is the “original power” and “bigger than anything” (ep 1×19 The Return), although ultimate and orignal kinda contradict each other, but I know that it’s used to express that we were made to think that she is the most powerful being in the land(s). Well, most powerful being in the Fairy Tale Lands maybe, maybe in magical lands – but that doesn’t necessarily mean she is the most powerful being wherever. Maybe it’s a question of the nature of magic, the nature of the faeries’ magic, the nature of the Blue Fairy’s magic.

In ep 1×14 Dreamy the Blue Fairy tells Nova about how important fairy dust is:

Blue Fairy: Careful. Careful. Fairy dust is the most precious substance in all the land. Its magic is what powers the world. This is the year’s supply – we must be cautious.

What makes me speculate:
a) magic is at the core of the Fairy Tale land, the Enchanted Forest, it’s its very heart and soul, maybe its origin (this is maybe different for other lands, for a few maybe similar, magical lands as well, but not all the same). The purest and maybe original form of the magic of the Fairy Tale lands is fairy dust.
b) as it looks without fairy dust fairies might not be able to do much magic, not even in the place where it orignated and is part of the land’s core nature, the Fairy Tale lands
c) the original power is the origin of fairy dust as much as a kind of manifestation of the first fairy dust. I know, that sounds mind-boggling, but it can make sense (never expect an answer what was there first, the fairy dust or the fairies)
d) the fairies, the Blue Fairy and their magic are so rooted in the Fairy Tale lands that if taken somewhere else they might lose much, most of their power. Or in other words: Without fairy dust fairies are still (mostly) benevolent spirits but without much power to do anything.

It’s a bit like the idea of Gaia (greek goddes, representing earth, roman Terra) and the Gaia hypothesis developed in the 70s – but transfered to a fairy tale concept.

Now the magic Rumple / Mr. Gold, Regina, Cora have been and are practicising is of somewhat different nature. Obviously it doesn’t take fairy dust for this kind of magic to be practiced. It still is connected to the origin of all magic in the Fairy Tale land, but it’s not all bound to it. This kind of magic works by tapping into emotions. Good question maybe if it works just with human emotions, if only humans have emotions which can be used that way, so magical beings can’t tap into that source maybe, or if humans and magical beings can use that kind of magical power. Interesting to look at the story of Dreamy and Nova under that aspect, the reactions of Bossy and the Blue Fairy, their assumption that it’s only a dream, dwarfs don’t have feelings, and fairies probably shouldn’t get too much into feelings.

Using emotions to practice magic is a faster way and might even mean that for a moment it can be a very powerful magic, but it’s the kind of magic definitly costing. Every magic might have a price, but if you take the quick way might cost a little more. Just an idea.

Using emotions to conjure magic makes it easier to practice that kind of magic even outside of the fairy tale lands, you just need let’s say a basic level of magic, a thin layer, to do it.

Could explain, why the fairies, the Blue Fairy are not much of a match now in Storybrooke, even after Gold brought a bit of magic to it.

For those wondering about what I meant, when saying ultimate and original kinda contradict each other:
ultimate = Medieval Latin ultimatus (“furthest, last”), past participle of Latin ultimare (“to come to an end”), from ultimus (“last, final”)
original = Latin originalis (“primitive, original”), from Latin origo (“beginning, source, origin”).
(source: Wiktionary)
Of course can say, the end is the beginning is the end, but I hope you get my point.

¯\_(?????? ?)_/¯

[Myril]

@RumplesGirl wrote:

If she’s weaker in SB than alright. I’ll take that under consideration However, how is it that the ultimate power, the oldest power, wasn’t able to stop the curse? She was really ineffective in both realms. Either she wanted the curse to happen for reasons we don’t yet understand or they really need to underplay her supposed power.

Picking up discussion from another topic, Barrier Spell? Mr. Gold’s Shop

Who says that any power could have stopped the Dark Curse? No matter how powerful otherwise. Yes, Cora was able to protect a tiny spot of the Fairy Tale lands, or more precise, she was able to keep people in that tiny spot from being transported to the other world, but they were frozen in time like the people in Storybrooke. What Cora did was a tiny modicication of the curse for a few, but was not any close to stopping it. So, should the Blue Fairy have done the same, protect a few, the charming family maybe while most other would still suffer?

Why was she ineffective? Just because she didn’t offer to everybody an easy simple way out of their problems?

I know, many think she should have stopped the Ogre wars like Rumple did stop one Ogre war. But who says she could have done that, unless using the same methods Rumple probably did, threats and deals and dark magic, doubt he achieved the end of the war playing nice. And who says it did so much good to stop that Ogre war? Looks like other wars followed, so Rumple wasn’t really effective either, was he, only for the moment.

Besides we’re trusting the words of others, hear-say.

I have no doubt that the Blue Fairy was powerful in the Fairy Tale Lands, but I am as sure that her power had limits even there, there is no such thing as an ultimate power.

¯\_(?????? ?)_/¯

[RumplesGirl]

Who says that any power could have stopped the Dark Curse? No matter how powerful otherwise. Yes, Cora was able to protect a tiny spot of the Fairy Tale lands, or more precise, she was able to keep people in that tiny spot from being transported to the other world, but they were frozen in time like the people in Storybrooke. What Cora did was a tiny modicication of the curse for a few, but was not any close to stopping it. So, should the Blue Fairy have done the same, protect a few, the charming family maybe while most other would still suffer?

How many times has this show harped on the concept that good defeats evil? It’s one of the reoccurring themes. I would like to see what Blue was doing for 250+ years while Rumple was putting his plans together. I think that is a story that needs to be told. In “The Return” she (granted unintentionally) leads Rumple to the Curse, but makes the caveat that at least his powers aren’t strong enough to cast the Dark Curse, to which Rumple replies that he will work his whole life, love nothing else, do nothing else, until he can cast that Curse. At some point, she should have stepped in, yes? She didn’t prevent him from obtaining the ability to see the future, or manipulating Regina. I think that if one of the defying themes of this show is that good defeats evil (however one may define such loaded terms) then we need to see what Blue was doing or not doing. If she’s not “evil” or the puppet master, then what does motivate her? We know she’s interfered before, and sometimes to the emotional determent of others (Nova and Grumpy for instance). She is still the only link we know of that connects August and NealFire. And I know Adam has confirmed that she didn’t have her memories during the cursed years but we still have yet to learn what her “final preparations” were before the curse hit (The Stranger).
I agree that there is no such thing as ultimate power, it would be a too convenient plot device if there were, (though as you pointed out, Morriane did call her bigger than anything and I think we need to take into consideration that’s how the writers have described her and therefore how we should view her) we rarely see Blue do anything spectacular, or at least maybe the kind of spectacular we expect. She turned Pinocchio into a real boy and Jiminy into a cricket, but in other times she’s relied on other magic (the tree, the bean) to fix a situation.

"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"

[schmacky]

If she’s weaker in SB than alright. I’ll take that under consideration However, how is it that the ultimate power, the oldest power, wasn’t able to stop the curse? She was really ineffective in both realms. Either she wanted the curse to happen for reasons we don’t yet understand or they really need to underplay her supposed power.

Why do you think anyone would be able to stop/break the curse? It was written in the curse itself that only the child of Snow and David would be able to break it.

I’m thinking.. and yes, I’m fanwanking this… that the reason Blue isn’t very powerful now is because she is the oldest power. Perhaps she’s… well, lost her powers along the way. Old age, time… I don’t know. But, the oldest doesn’t necessarily mean the strongest.

[RumplesGirl]

Why do you think anyone would be able to stop/break the curse? It was written in the curse itself that only the child of Snow and David would be able to break it.

Rumple wrote that into the curse, but the curse existed before Snow and Charming and Emma. Emma was Rumple assurance that they wouldn’t be forever trapped in SB. And Blue knew of the Curse. Once she saw what Rumple was doing, I just want to know what she was doing. If she was unable to prevent it, then why did it take Regina threatening Snow and Charming on their wedding day for her to get to work?

I’m thinking.. and yes, I’m fanwanking this… that the reason Blue isn’t very powerful now is because she is the oldest power. Perhaps she’s… well, lost her powers along the way. Old age, time… I don’t know. But, the oldest doesn’t necessarily mean the strongest.

[/quote]

Hmmm. Rumple’s pretty old though, and his powers only grew as he got older. Now, there might be something to magic disappearing from FTL. Blue told Gepetto that the tree that he fashioned into a wardrobe was the last of its kind. She also told Bae that the bean she gave him was the last magic bean, the others had been lost. Either that was a lie or she really believes the beans to be lost because we know it’s not true.

"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"

[kfchimera]

@Schmacky wrote:

I’m thinking.. and yes, I’m fanwanking this… that the reason Blue isn’t very powerful now is because she is the oldest power. Perhaps she’s… well, lost her powers along the way. Old age, time… I don’t know. But, the oldest doesn’t necessarily mean the strongest.

Was she the “original” or “ultimate” power according to Morraine? Either way, 300 years later things might be different, and her relative amount of power could be less. After all, an original computer is nowhere near as powerful as the ones we use today. Rumpel upgraded himself in all kinds of ways, but maybe that is not possible for a fairy.

I do agree that the writers should explain more clearly why. Is it because there are not enough “pure hearts” who she can help? A limit of fairy dust she can use per day? We fans can muse about it, but it really is a gap that the writers should address with more than a tweet.

“If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?” -- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass

[RumplesGirl]

@KFChimera wrote:

@Schmacky wrote:

I’m thinking.. and yes, I’m fanwanking this… that the reason Blue isn’t very powerful now is because she is the oldest power. Perhaps she’s… well, lost her powers along the way. Old age, time… I don’t know. But, the oldest doesn’t necessarily mean the strongest.

Was she the “original” or “ultimate” power according to Morraine? Either way, 300 years later things might be different, and her relative amount of power could be less. After all, an original computer is nowhere near as powerful as the ones we use today. Rumpel upgraded himself in all kinds of ways, but maybe that is not possible for a fairy.

I do agree that the writers should explain more clearly why. Is it because there are not enough “pure hearts” who she can help? A limit of fairy dust she can use per day? We fans can muse about it, but it really is a gap that the writers should address with more than a tweet.

As Myril points out, Morriane calls her the original power and bigger than anything. I do agree with Myril that original and ultimate are problematic when used together but I think the fans have been doing (I know I’m guilty of it and will curb that from here on out).
But she is called bigger than Rumple which to means her magic is supposed to be, for wont of a better word, “better” (not morally but strength wise).
I’m disappointed we haven’t seen a stand off between Blue and Rumple in SB. They’ve had virtually no interaction since The Return in S1 and I think there is a lot of story to tell between them and just about Blue in general.

"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"

[schmacky]

Her magic was bigger than Rumple’s shortly after Rumple took on the powers of the Dark One and that could very well have been true. But as time goes on, things change. According to the ep Dreamy they only had a certain amount of fairy dust per year. And Blue said that fairy dust powers the world. And it seemed like magic was starting to wilt away in the Enchanted Forest. Last bean, last enchanted tree, etc. If you look at fairy dust and (good) magic like oil in our world, there’s only so much of it and when it’s gone.. it’s going to be gone. No more. It looks like in the EF, it wasn’t in as much abundance as it once had. Fairy dust isn’t something that’s grown, it’s mined. And that comes from the diamonds. Well, the diamonds aren’t something you just grow. Once those are gone, so will fairy dust. That could have decreased her powers in the EF because she needed to be more cautious with its use and conserve it.

Now, here in SB, they haven’t been mining for fairy dust very long and then Regina and Rumple stole what they had mined right before Snow and Emma returned. So, if the dwarves and whomever have been mining since then… they don’t have that much fairy dust. That is obviously going to limit Blue’s power in SB.

[RumplesGirl]

Well, the last bean was a lie. We know that from Tiny. Unless the Blue Fairy was unaware of either the giant’s continual existence or their continued harvesting of the beans. In any case, that brings back up my point which is: what was the Blue Fairy doing? If her magic is dwindling then alright I will await further evidence of that, but is she unaware of what is going on in her realm? Rumple’s powers keep getting stronger but she does nothing? Yet she can rally all the fairies to help Snow rescue Charming using some of that precious fairy dust?
In one of the other Blue Fairy threads, quite awhile ago, I wondered if Blue spent time in other places and that’s why she didn’t realize what Rumple was doing until it was too late. Tinkerbell travels between Neverland and our world with Peter, so it’s not out of the question that Blue could be a traveler. So what was doing over there (wherever that may have been?)

"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"

[Author]

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