Welcome to the jungle, it gets worse here every day

You learn to live like an animal in the jungle where we play

If you hunger for what you see you'll take it eventually

You can have everything you want but you better not take it from me

In the jungle, welcome to the jungle

Watch it bring you to your knnn knne knees, knees

I'm gonna watch you bleed

Guns N Roses – Welcome To The Jungle

Author's Notes: You will now start to see some of the events of Season 3 occur in a different order, at a quicker pace and some scenes will not exist at all due to the removal of Captain Hook in a previous chapter. There are also several Archie and Azkadellia scenes that are mentioned but not included. Those missing scenes will be included in their side story, Nemo. Keep looking for it and DG and Wyatt's side story Cold Heritage on my profile.

Storybrooke, Maine

Seven days prior to the Final Eclipse

A car bearing Minnesota plates sped down the long stretch of road leading to the portals that would take them to one of the six versions of the town known as Storybrooke but they were only interested in the original for the moment. Their mission; to find and destroy Pandora's Box, one of many devices that opened the gates to Ephesis and trapped its victims in one of the Ozian Hell Realm's worst prisons, the Realm of the Forgotten. Pan knew his son was planning to use that box to trap him and bring him over to the other side to weaken him, however the boy would be in for a nasty surprise. Leaving Neverland would weaken most of his powers but not all of them. Once he stepped foot on the other side he would be able to channel the powers of his Scots-Irish warlock ancestors. His son would have access to those powers as well, but Pan had more experience with them.

"They're casting a cloaking spell," the passenger spoke up, pointing to a glowing dome shield that appeared in the sky. "Step on it, Michael!"

Michael Darling floored the accelerator, praying that the car would get them across the town line before the shield blocked the entrance. Their sister's life depended on it. Wendy had been waiting for over a century to gain her freedom and they couldn't let her down, not when she'd allowed the Shadow to take her to Neverland to try to find their missing friend Baelfire and had been taken prisoner instead. Michael and his brother Jon also allowed the Shadow to take them in an attempt to rescue her, but they too were Pan's prisoners, only able to gain their freedom when Pan had the heart of the Truest Believer in his possession.

A group of ecstatic Storybrooke residents were waiting for Archie, Az and Belle when they were walking back to his van.

"They did it! They stopped the town from being destroyed!" Leroy cried.

"Archie? What's going on? Why is Belle crying?" David asked him.

"They stopped the self-destruct device. Those people who came... Greg and Tamara... they kidnapped Henry and they took him through a portal," she explained.

"To where?" Ruby demanded.

"Neverland. More people from the Home Office are coming. We have to stop them, and this is the only way how." She held up the scroll Rumple had given her. "A cloaking spell and to cast it we need fairy dust. Lots of it. The mines. It runs through the walls. We have to dig through to the dust running through the walls and let my magic carry the spell through the town. Archie, Az...I may need your help."

"You can do this honey," Az assured her.

"Mr. Gold entrusted this task to you for a reason. You have to believe in yourself Belle," Blue told her.

"Then let's go! We don't have much time!" Belle flicked her wrist and teleported everyone to the mines.

"Someone wanna explain to me how you and Archie are using magic?" Leroy asked her.

"We'll explain later. Start digging!" she cried.

He picked up his axe. "You heard her boys."

They hammered away at the rocks for what seemed like hours until they finally broke through to a vein containing a large cache of fairy dust. Belle approached the rock and poured the contents of the vial that had been wrapped around the scroll containing the incantation she needed to read to cast it. Then she waved her hand and unrolled the scroll, the text written in Russian Ozian, a language only those of the Ozopov and Strogoff bloodlines could translate. She placed her hands over the vein and took a deep breath.

"I've never cast a spell like this before. What if I do it wrong?"

Archie placed his hand on her left shoulder, Az her right.

"Just concentrate Belle," Az coached. Archie smiled, recalling how patient she'd been with DG during her magic lessons. Belle closed her eyes and began to recite the incantation. The fairy dust began to glow beneath her hands and a bolt of magic shot up out of the rock and through a hole in the cave, forming a glowing shield in the sky above them. The shield descended over the town slowly, severing the rear bumper from the car the Darlings were driving and then finally reaching the ground.

"We made it!" Jon exclaimed. Barely, but they made it. They drove the car into the woods and parked it, putting all their personal belongings into backpacks and continuing into town on foot.

In the mine Belle breathed a sigh of relief. The town was safe. For now.

"Now what do we do?" she asked Az and Archie.

"Now we get you ready," Az said softly.

"Ready for what?"

"To learn the path of the dragon." Archie waved his hand over his umbrella and transformed it into his katana sword.

"Hey, you still didn't answer my question. How do all of you have magic?"

"It's a long story Leroy and one that needs to wait for another time," Archie said.

"So, who's gonna run the town now that Snow, Charming, Regina and Emma are gone?"

Everyone looked at Blue.

"Archie, you and Azkadellia have the most experience. It should be you," she said.

"Hey, wait a minute! Why them? He's a shrink and we have no idea who the hell she is!" Whale protested.

"Her name is Azkadellia Andromedia Ozopov, rightful Queen of the OZ, Whale!" Archie said through gritted teeth, fighting the urge to blast Whale where he stood for insulting his wife. "And I was the Commander of the Ozian Royal Army. Does that answer your question?"

"No, you weren't. You were Snow's advisor."

"I haven't been in Storybrooke the whole time, you idiot!" Archie snapped. "And I have magic now. Did you ever stop to ask yourself how that is?"

"Yeah, how did that happen?" Leroy demanded.

"I'd like to know too!" Ruby exclaimed. "And I'd like to know how Belle has it."

"Why don't we all go to the diner and you can tell us over lunch?" Granny suggested. Belle didn't feel like eating but she didn't want to be rude either. She allowed the Hoppers to take her back to the diner in their van and sat with them at their table, finding their presence comforting but they were barely given time to relax as everyone began firing questions at them all at once until Archie waved his hand and cast a silencing spell and began to tell the story as he knew it with Belle and Az adding in the details they knew.

"So, you're telling us you are all the stands between our version of the devil walking the earth and our land being destroyed?" Granny demanded once they finished.

"And we only have seven days left to restore the Balance," Az replied. "Once Rumple neutralizes the first dagger Alemedia's control over my sister and her bondmate will be weak enough for them to be able to resist her control. The trouble is we don't always know which one she is in control of. It was Wyatt the last time."

Belle shuffled her French fries around on her plate, unable to eat them or the delicious hamburger that had been offered to her. All she could do was worry for Rumple. Confronting his past and his father was not going to be easy for him and she longed to be there with him.

"There has to be some way I can help Rumple!" she whispered to the Hoppers. They smiled.

"In the only realm the darkness can't breach. The dream realm," Az murmured. "I awoke Archie in his dreams weeks before Emma broke the Dark Curse."

"She woke me the night before Henry went into the mines. Him going into the mines is what triggered the more aggressive side of my personality to come out with Regina. I never allowed anyone to talk down to me when I was Commander Ozopov and he always comes out when I lose my temper. I've always told Henry that giving into one's dark side never accomplishes anything." He smiled faintly. "Jeb Mysticos used to say that. He's the one who taught me how to use my powers. He was also Rumple's cousin, Belle."

"Facing his father is not going to be easy for him. He denies it, but I know part of him wishes things had been different between them."

"Pans going to attack Rumple three ways. Magically, physically and psychologically," Archie reminded her. "The hardest battle is going to be in his mind. That's where you come in. You need to be his conscience, remind him of who he is, not who he was."

"How do I reach him in the dream realm?"

"That's what we're going to show you."

"Would you mind staying with me while Rumple's gone? I hate staying in that big house alone."

Az reached across the table and took Belle's hand in hers. "We'd be happy to, honey. Come on. Let's get you home. There's a lot to do."

Neverland

Seven Days Prior To The Final Eclipse

The Jolly Roger with Bae at the helm emerged from the portal in the middle of the ocean. In the distance Bae could see the island that had been his home for decades and felt a lump rise in his throat. He had as much to fear from its master as his father did but there was also another entity he feared just as much…the Shadow. He alone knew that once they arrived on the island the Shadow would prevent them from leaving by ripping their own shadows from their bodies and sending them to Dark Hollow, its own version of Ephesis.

Bae lowered the anchor and stepped back from the wheel, taking a deep breath. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around to see his father standing there in a grey dragonscale leather coat, silk shirt and breeches. There were two black lines on his cheeks.

"What's with the wardrobe change and war paint Gold?" Emma asked. He glowered at her.

"I can't go traipsing around the jungle in my Armanis, now can I? And yes, Miss Swan, this is a war, one you'd better damn well be ready for because it is going to take ALL of us to get my grandson off this island. Our foe is too fearsome for hand-holding. Neverland is a place where imagination runs wild, especially my father's and if yours doesn't then I suggest you get your affairs in order because he will kill anyone who tries to stop him from prolonging his immortality."

"And once the Shadow knows we're here it's going to do it's damndest to try to stop us from leaving," Bae added.

"What is the Shadow?" Regina demanded.

"It was the original caretaker of the island until my father took control of it and now uses it to keep the inhabitants from escaping," Rumple replied.

"Unless you trap it," Bae added. "That's how I escaped."

Rumple stared at his son. "Bae! You know how dangerous that was!"

"I didn't care Papa. I wanted to get the hell out of here and was willing to try anything. We have to find my old cave. That's where I hid the means to trap it."

"Okay, so we find a way to trap the Shadow, grab Henry and get the hell outta here. In and out. Simple." Emma said.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple, Miss Swan. You forget my father has a legion of young boys loyal to him and will kill for him if necessary."

"Well there's three of us who know magic," Regina pointed out.

"Then let's do it," Snow grabbed her bow and Charming grabbed his sword.

Knowing Felix and his crew often laid traps along the beach, Bae got off the ship first with his father at his heels. The toe of Rumple's boot caught on a piece of rope and two large tree logs swung toward them. He pushed Bae to the ground and raised his hand and blasted them before they could crush him.

"That was a close one!" Charming exclaimed.

"Watch your step. There are traps all over the place," Bae said when he got to his feet.

"Snow, David!" Regina yelled and threw a fireball in a hole that opened in the ground in front of them, revealing a set of spikes. The couple breathed a sigh of relief when they landed on a safe surface. She then levitated them out of the pit and onto firm ground.

Neverland

Hours earlier

The portal dumped Greg and Henry onto beach. Henry, still frozen by the squid ink and powerless by the leather cuff fastened around his wrist, was seething with rage. There was nothing he wanted to do more than use his staff to send this man flying into another realm, but his backpack was still in Storybrooke along with his family.

They'll come for me. I know they will, he thought.

"Get moving," Greg snarled and pushed the boy forward.

"You're lucky I don't have my magic right now 'cause I'd be using it to blast you into the palm trees!" he snarled, feeling the squid ink wearing off. The moment it did he reached out and yanked the cuff off. Greg's eyes widened in horror.

"How did you do that? No one is supposed to be able to get that off!"

Henry smiled. "I guess my dear great grandfather isn't as powerful as he thinks he is."

"I wouldn't count on that laddie," he heard a voice say from behind him and turned to see a boy in his early teens wearing a green velvet tunic, breeches and boots standing on the beach. "Hello Henry. I've been waiting for you a long time. I hadn't counted on my son telling you who I am so that changes my plans a bit."

"He told me who you are and the only way you're gonna get my heart from me is by killing me!" Henry sneered, his hands glowing with magic.

Pan threw back his head and laughed. "D'ye really think ye can fight me, laddie? Ye may be Lurline's successor but ye willna be at full strength until you're older."

"Don't underestimate me," the boy growled, stretching out his hand and blasting Pan. The older boy flew into the trunk of one of the trees. "I have the memories of all my predecessors and I can access them anytime I wish to now." He closed his eyes and began to chant in Ozian. Sand began to rise from the beach and formed a funnel cloud that began to spin toward where the elder mage stood. Pan laughed again and waved his hand, the cloud disintegrating.

"This is MY world boy and it lives by MY rules!" he hissed and took flight. Henry gestured and levitated himself into the air, recalling the spell his ancestor Glinda the Good often used and shielded himself inside a bubble. Pan threw a ball of fire at the shield that bounced off it. He cursed in Gaelic. This was going to be more difficult than he thought. The bubble began to fly away with its occupant safe inside while Pan howled with rage and began to pursue him. "I WILL GET YOUR HEART, YOU LITTLE BASTARD!" he screamed.

You have to find me first, Henry thought as the bubble flew across the island. He sat down inside it, taking several deep breaths.

Being a guardian is not an easy burden to carry, my young descendant and the burden of being Lurline's successor is an even harder one.

He looked up and a man's image appeared in the bubble.

Who are you?

I am Alexander Strogoff, your great-great grandfather but in my second life I was Jeb Mysticos, your distant cousin and tutor of your dear friend Jiminy Cricket. Have no fear Henry. Pan cannot hear us in here.

How are you able to communicate with me and my family can't?

They can but it's best that they don't. Pan would be able to hear communications with the living in the mortal realm. Speaking with the dead in it is a power only you will have, Henry. You must stay safe until they arrive. You are still learning your powers and though he is an arrogant jackass, Pan did speak the truth when he said this is his world now. He controls it through the dark powers he inherited from the warlocks from Scotland and Ireland. Defeating him will not be easy but that is your grandfather's test to earn the right to become the West Guardian.

So I just hide out until he finds me? I really don't wanna be sitting around doing nothing while my family's gonna be tearing this place apart looking for me. I wanna DO something.

Then you must learn to use the powers you have been given. Let me guide you as I guided Jiminy and so many others. Your grandfather will need you more than ever when the final battle comes.

Pan had searched the entire island and couldn't find a trace of the boy. He returned to the beach where Greg waited, expecting some sort of reward for delivering Henry to him but Pan wasn't feeling charitable at the moment. He left him stewing in his anger and returned to Skull Rock.

"The boy will be harder to capture than I thought," he confessed to the Shadow, glancing up the hourglass. Time was running short. He gestured and a spellbook appeared in his hands, a spellbook he'd been given by one of his own descendants in exchange for lessons in dark magic. He was sorry to see lad go. Jamie McDermott's ruthless nature rivaled his own, but his voracious sexual appetite had been his downfall. He opened the book and began to read, hoping the spell would be powerful enough to draw the Truest Believer out of hiding.

On the other side of the island Snow, Regina, Emma and Charming were learning the hard way that Rumple was true to his word when he said that Neverland was a place where the imagination ran wild and its juvenile residents were inventive with their traps.

"Good God, it's like they read The Poor Man's James Bond and The Anarchist Cookbook," Emma groaned, referring to two well-known survivalist publications that gave lessons on everything from making booby traps to weapons using common household items.

Bae scoffed. "Em, we were doing this stuff LONG before those books came out. His father glowered at him. "Papa, don't give me that look. I did what I had to do in order to survive this hellhole."

"That my cowardice put you in," Rumple muttered.

"Don't, okay. Pan would've gotten me anyway. It was just a matter of time. But he's not gonna get my son."

"He'll get him over our dead bodies," Regina snarled.

"Gina, look out!" Emma cried as the queen slipped and fell forward into a pit filled with snakes. The snakes hissed and slithered toward her, bearing their poisonous fangs. The former Evil Queen smirked and shifted into a cobra, hissing back at them. The snakes backed away and she slithered out of the pit and shifted back into her human form. Rumple giggled.

"Didn't think I remembered that lesson, did you Rumple?"

"Oh, I never doubted you would, dearie."

"What did she do?" Emma asked him.

"When faced with danger by an animal, always shift into the superior of the species and they'll back away. Some of them may have magical auras and will seek to become your familiar. I had a cat back in the Dark Castle."

"I would've thought you'd have a dog since you said you've befriended a sheepdog or two in the past."

"No but I'd like one. Pongo is Archie's familiar. His mate Perika is Azkadellia's. They look like Dalmatians in their current form, but they are mobat demons half monkey, half bat and born in the darkest realm in Ephesis."

"Great. Archie has a familiar from Hell and you have the Father From Neverhell."

Bae burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" she demanded.

"I really like that one Em."

"Now is not the time for jokes," Regina reminded him sternly. "We need to find our son. Now where is Pan's camp?"

"We have a long way to go and he's probably moved it by now."

Back at his camp, Pan called his second in command to his tent.

"My son and Baelfire are on the island. Bring Baelfire to me immediately."

Felix grinned. He was looking forward to the reunion with one of his least favorite charges. Baelfire had been clever enough to escape him once before but he wouldn't be so lucky a second time if Felix had anything to say about it. He set out in search of his target with three of his toughest lost boys. He would make a perfect companion for their other guest, though what she was doing there was anyone's guess since they really didn't want girls on the island. Still, no one dared question Pan about it or their shadows would become permanent residents of Dark Hollow.

Pan summoned a seeing globe and waved his hand over it while the spellbook opened. He began to chant in Gaelic as an image appeared on the glass. He could see his son and grandson wandering through the jungle. His son was now twenty years older than he would've been had he not stolen Neverland's magic to retain his youth and Baelfire was not much younger. It was time to pay his son a visit but first he would have to separate father and son. He waved his hand over the seeing globe and dark clouds formed inside it accompanied by thunder and lightning.

"We need to find shelter now!" Rumple yelled over the rising winds.

"That storm came out of nowhere!" Charming cried, reaching for Snow's hand.

"Rumple, can't you do something?" Snow asked him.

"I'm trying!" he cried.

"Come on. He may need our help," Regina said to Emma. Rumple teleported to the top of a hill, Regina and Emma appearing behind him. Rumple blasted at the dark clouds above them and was blasted back by an equally powerful force.

"This Pan is really pissing me off!" Emma growled. "You wanna fight? Come on!" She shook her fist at the sky.

"Emma, that really isn't a good idea…"

"You got a better one, Queenie?"

"Enough!" Rumple roared. A lightning bolt stuck the ground and threw them off the hill. They tumbled to the ground unconscious.

"Neal! Neal!" Snow and Charming shouted as a fierce wind blew in, pulling the older man away from them. "Emma! Regina! Rumple!"

"Come on. We need to go look for them!" Charming took his wife's hand and the pair started running through the jungle hoping they would find someone before they too were separated.

Pan teleported to the bottom of the cliff where his son and the two women lay, smiling. The women would be a powerful ingredient to his compulsion spell, the mother who abandoned Henry and the one who nearly destroyed her world and his fragile little mind to have revenge against a little girl for telling a secret. He flicked his wrist and teleported them to another corner of the island. He was going to enjoy torturing them all before he killed them. Now he was alone with his son and it was time for them to have a long overdue chat.