Z/N: A companion fic to Happily, this one takes place before it. I still don't own Cyberchase, but the twisted versions of the fairy tales are mine. Sadly.

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"Control Central? Hmm.."

Motherboard's first thought was to be suspicious of the witch. Her smile was not comforting.

"Yes. I came from Control Central, to inquire as to the state of this site."

The witch idly swirled her wineglass. "You're lucky you met me first. It's harsh out there for someone who...leads a sheltered life."

Motherboard couldn't ignore the veiled attack. "I have seen quite a lot of things in my recent travels." She shot back, attempting to keep the conversation civilized as long as it could be.

"What would you like to know?" The witch asked, the frustrating grin still occupying her face.

"What is your name?" Motherboard asked.

"Me?" The witch took a sip from her glass, slinging one leg over the other. She noticed the way Motherboard's eyes went down to watch her dress hike up a bit, then darted back up to her face subconsciously.

"Mostly they just call me Wicked. Wicked Witch."
Motherboard sighed. So many people were titled instead of named. It made it easier in a data view, but..

"And what levels of hostility are the locals of this site at?" She stared into her drink, attempting by sheer force of will to determine if it was safe or any good at all.

Wicked's eyes never left Motherboard. "Well, Jack The Giant Killer is egotistical, and only semi dangerous unless you happen to be a giant."

Motherboard wondered how the witch had determined exactly what she wanted to hear seemingly before she said it. Her eyes met Wicked's.

"The King is cruel and bloodthirsty, the typical maddened old tyrant." Wicked continued, giving Motherboard the seductive look that was completely at odds with what she was saying.

"Little Bo Peep...has a flock of mass murdering sheep."

If Wicked's tone hadn't been so serious, Motherboard would have laughed. As it was, laughing was out of the question.

"Ugh, Hansel and Gretel pride themselves on being professional witch-killers, as well as other things. I can't stand the egotistical delinquents." Wicked frowned for a moment, then returned to that infuriatingly melting smile.

"I'd say Mary Quite Contrary is the least dangerous, although she has her own strange desires with anyone caught in her wild garden."

Motherboard shuddered. Wicked took this reaction as a good sign, and relaxed her tone even more.

"Miss Muffet...well, let's say her eating habits are rather odd. She's courting a spider at the moment. Although she may, being the female, devour him soon."
Motherboard's eyes widened. She made no sound, taking in all of Wicked's words uneasily.

"The Big Bad Wolves aren't nearly as bad as Little Red Riding Hood. There are times around Red that I'm glad I'm not a man."
The silence from the other woman merely widened Wicked's grin. "That's all of the really dangerous ones I think. There are others of course, but those are the ones that get the most reputation."

"And what about you?" Motherboard asked, her voice steady.

"Me? I'm just a witch. A wicked, wicked witch."
Wicked's tone prevented further discussion. Motherboard shivered again. Some people survived among the wild by being the most wild themselves. She stood up. "Thank you for your time. I must be going now."
"So soon? You didn't even finish your drink."

Motherboard's vision swirled.

She woke up outside of Wicked's castle.

Head pounding, he only things she could remember were the words 'pretty pretty android' and sliding touches. She didn't feel much different, except for a tingle that faded when she sat up. She shook out of it. There was work to do.

The sun shone brightly when she finished, completely different from the ominous sky that had prevailed earlier. Birds sang, and the buildings were bright and cheery, trees alive and lustrous. The King was greeting each of his subjects cheerily, and they were greeting him back just as happily. Red Riding Hood skipped through the woods singing to herself. Jack was chatting to a giant, seemingly the best of friends. Little Bo Peep tended her grass eating flock under the warm sun. Hansel and Gretel ate sweets on the palace steps, grinning in delight. Mary tended her garden with care, not as morose as she used to be. Miss Muffet was now merely friends with the spider, and they shared her curds and whey on the stool. It was as it should be. Motherboard felt drained, but there was one last thing to do. She set her sights on Wicked's castle, and directed the last of her power onto it. The building changed drastically, and so she assumed did the occupant. Good, the witch had rather worried her. Wicked seemed to support this theory by walking out of her castle, smiling in a much less condenscending way than before, and no hint of seduction behind it. "Helloo, everyone!" Wicked singsonged.

Motherboard's job was done. She used the last of her stored power to warp back to control central to recharge in a computer.

Wicked's grin immediately fell, and she looked around disgusted at everything. Mary Quite Contrary walked slowly up to her. "Why did she do that? Look at my garden. It's not wild. I'm just like everyone else now." The monotone girl burst into tears.

"I took a lot of her power Mary dear. She obviously didn't have enough to completely wipe out your emolicious tendencies." Wicked ran her sleeve over Mary's eyes, paying no attention to the running mascara. "You'll get better soon. But I can't forgive her for what she did to our town."

Mary's expression converted into tone of pure anger. "She has to suffer."
"Exactly what I had in mind Mary!" Wicked sang, delighted. "I'll find some way to bring this town back to the way it was before. And then, your garden will run wild once more. Everyone's will."

Wicked's eyes narrowed. "I'll make sure of it."