A few weeks ago, in a fictional land called New York City...
He always disliked the busy city streets, especially the shopping areas. They had visited fifteen shops already and still not a single dress was found that met his daughter's expectations. Rumble checked his watch in between shops. He had a appointment, one he couldn't miss.
"Come on daddy! We're burning daylight over here!" his daughter urged him on. She was nothing like him, at least physically. She was beautiful, with her long blonde hair like gold and eyes as blue as emeralds. But much like her adopted father she was a trickster. She played the part of brainless bimbo well but few knew the dangerous intellect that hide behind those eyes.
"Coming, Anastasia..." the imp got up from his bench and leaned on his cane as he followed his daughter. "I still don't see why I am dragged along for this and not your friends…"
"Because daddy, my loveable old man." She hugged him from behind." You are my portable ATM machine." She pecked his cheek. "Oh, and I love you to, I guess."
"Careful miss, thin ice." Rumble smirked." Or you are paying for your own wedding."
"Oh don't fret daddy, I just have to bat my pretty eyelashes at Smaugy and his wallet loosens…as does his trousers." She smirked.
Rumble groaned and shook his head." Didn't need to know that, my dear…"
He heard his daughter laugh but the world seemed to stop. He looked at his watch and nodded, it was time. He looked to Anastasia and walked off, leaving her behind as she and the other shoppers around here stood still as statues. He walked over to a coffee shop where he saw a old woman was needling.
"One PM exactly." Rumble said as he took his seat across of her. Already on his spot was a cup of coffee, his kind of coffee." Black as the devil and as sweet as a stolen kiss."
"Black with two sugars." The old lady replied as she kept needling. "I may forget a few things in my old age but rarely do I forget how anyone prefers their coffee."
"Nonsense Frau Totenkinder." Rumble took up the cup." You forget nothing."
Totenkinder placed aside her needling and began drinking with her guest." Flattery does not get you anywhere, Rumblestiltskin. Oh I heard your daughter is getting married. To a dragon of all things."
Rumble smirked." Smaug the dragon yes. Marries into money and power. She also seemed to have tamed him. How I don't know…"
"Oh you do Rumble, the same way any woman can control any man." She chuckled. After a sip from her coffee she placed her mug down." I have good news and bad."
"Veggies before dessert." Rumble replied.
"I found the box, oh rather Boy Blue did. It is currently in the capitol of the Empire, in the vault of the biggest bank."
"Damn…" Rumble cursed." That might complicate matters."
"The good news is I have planted a idea into Prince Charming's head to start a raid on the Adversary's financial estates in preparation for a invasion from Fabletown. I heard Mowgli also has contacted the Arabian Fables to double our forces for the invasion."
"A raid you say…" Rumble placed his own mug down." You mean our deal has changed? I was to do this alone."
"Sweet Rumble." The old witch smirked." You may be a lot of things but given the new information I doubt you could get past Neverland let alone get anywhere close to Miller Queen. The warlock's domination spell over you and your hive might triple or more once in the Toscane Homeland and not even your contract with the Queen can protect you from that kind of magic if you exert yourself."
"So a group has to be assembled…who?" he looked at her.
The witch dipped her little biscuit of gingerbread in her cup of coffee before she had a bite. As she munched she whirled her free hand as a mirror appeared next to them. It was foggy at first but the picture cleared and a battle was shown. The battle for Fabletown. Rumblestiltskin recognized a few figures. Bigby Wolf who blasted the wooden soldiers in black away, Beast sans Beauty, King Cole and Prince Charming, a decapitated Pinocchio and so forth.
Several figures were highlighted as Totenkinder picked them with her long, thin finger. The image zoomed in as they saw a flying young man and a captain fight back to back against the wooden soldiers in black. A toad throwing grenades while on a flying cow. A dwarf throwing his hammer as he fought alongside three clothed brown bears. A swan that changed into a human as she threw down flares where a moment later a cannon blast erupted. And of course Rumblestiltskin himself who led a group of goblins as they swarmed over the wooden soldiers and slashed them to bits.
"James Hook owes you a favour. If you did not lead him to the fountain of youth in Neverland he would never have been a fable." Frau Totenkinder said." His Jolly Roger can get you to Neverland and thus the Homelands."
"The Jolly Roger has been floating around in the business office for years." Rumble said.
"True, but once Charming gets a whiff of this plan he will let that boat go soon enough." The witch replied.
"And Hook has been aching to get his ship back…" Rumble nodded." Very well. What about the others?"
" When Pan gets to Neverland and unlocks it's powers again he will be a demi-god, at least in that realm. That way Neverland will be released and be a staging ground for the rest of the invasion force." She moved the image to the dwarf." The dwarf is of an old bloodline. If he enters the Homelands some of that magic will return which is good for our side." She went to the toad on the flying cow and the flying swan queen." The Toad and Swan are interesting. For some reason when I casted my spell to select the group it pointed to these two as well."
"Fate has something in store for them?" the imp asked.
"So it seems." She mused.
"This…is a very imbalanced group." Rumblestiltskin took a sip form his coffee." It will take one large motivator to get them together. Money can only get you so far…"
"Oh don't you worry, I will have that covered. Fate has made it so each of them has a reason to come back to the Homelands and the Adversary will not expect his banks being robed." Frau Totenkinder smiled but her smile quickly soured." But Rumblestiltskin, he cannot be allowed to have that box in their possession. If he knows we are planning a invasion he will use that weapon against us. A weapon worse than Bigby Wolf on his worst day, more dangerous than a Djiin, worse than all the Four Winds combined."
"You never told me of this before, Totenkinder." The imp frowned." What in that box has you so rattled?"
"The box that destroy and damn every world in existence Rumblestiltskin. The box of Pandora."