Maleficent stretched. It was a good day.

She glanced over at the window of her room, the best in the castle, where the Sheriff of Nottingham stood, probably pouting.

She got up to join him, "She is the key to all of this Sheriff. As we speak she's flying on her little broom to set the other parts of our plan in motion." Maleficent looked out at the sun, "Actually she's probably on her way back."

The Sheriff turned, "The... exciting parts."

Maleficent laughed, "Oh yes... very exciting."

"Who put the protection spell over your kingdom?"

James looked up from his desk, he'd thought he was the only one awake. Snow tended to sleep in more often than not, the little on in her taking it out of her. "We don't have any."

Glinda rubbed her fingers together, "I can feel them. They are quite strong in places. Although, in other places they're quite thin."

James grumbled, "Regina." He looked up at Glinda, "Can you take them down?"

Glinda frowned, "Why would I want to do that your majesty?"

James shook his head as he stood, "You don't know her. She should be dead in the ground for all she's done. But that child..." He blew out a breath, "Little Henry, if it weren't for him and how he defends her, even with his life. If not for him we'd been rid of that witch the second we... woke up from wherever she sent us."

"Hmmm..."

"So," James paused in front of the thinking Glinda. "Will you take them down. We don't need magic to defend Happily Ever After. That much I know."

"I don't know."

James tilted his head to one side and rested his hand on his sword hilt, "Call it re-payment for our hospitality."

Glinda frowned for a long moment. Then took out her wand and closed her eyes. Chanting to herself. She gave a look to James. "They're down."

Regina was mid bite when the feeling hit her. Her gaze looked south, towards Snow and James' castle. Even though all she could see was the wall of the inn. Both Emma and Regina's father looked worried. It was Emma who spoke, "What's wrong?"

Regina stood. "WE have to go. Father- do you have any horses?"

Henry stood as well with a shake of his head, "No, you know that Regina."

A swarthy looking man laughed from the corner, "I could loan you mine, for a price."

Regina strode over to him and pushed him up against the wall.

One hand around his throat, the other over his heart. "Do you know who I am?" The man quickly nodded, "Good. For your horses I will give you back your life." She quirked an eyebrow, "A fair trade?"

She let the man go and he slid down the wall, nodding as he went, "Yes, yes, my Queen."

Regina gave a nod and grabbed Emma's arm, "We'll come back for... everything." She spared a glance towards her father as if he'd disappear the second she left the inn. "We'll be back."

Henry nodded, "Good luck my daughter."

Regina gave a curt nod and they were outside. Regina climbed onto one of the horses and looked down when Emma didn't immediately get up onto the other one. "What. So soon you forget who I am?"

"Ah, no... my rider's more Shaq than Leprechaun." She finally manged to get into the saddle, "As for what you did in there..." Emma smirked, "It was kinda hot... Snow and James' castle?"

Regina nodded and without another word they were both off at a nearly a run.

"Morning Wolf." Red chuckled, "Did you know you're purring."

Phelan rolled over and narrowed her eyes at Red, but softened her words with a smile. "Wolves don't purr we-"

The rest of whatever she was going to say got cut off as the door to their bedroom flew open. "Wolf, I've figured out-" Granny raised her eyebrows, "Wolf- what big bre..."

Red managed to cut her grandmother off in time, "Grandmother. Wha- what do you want?" Red pulled the covers up over both she and Phelan. All the way to their chins.

"Ah, yes," she pushed her glasses up her nose, "I figured out how to get your contraption working." She glanced at Phelan. "But perhaps we will talk about it after breakfast."

She backed out of the room, closing the door and Red hurfed out a breath. She looked over at Phelan, "Why are you smiling? She just..."

"She loves you- and apparently she's my engine building partner now. We can embrace it, her, or we can run away."

Red pursed her lips, "Well, when you're done with that metal and wood monstrosity outside- a lock for our door if you would?"

Phelan kissed Red, "You got it."

Elphaba landed and started towards her rooms. Maleficent got to her before she even got out of the courtyard. "It's done, my part is done. I'd like to go rest- The Sheriff is not light."

Maleficent rolled her eyes, "Escape into your books?"

Elphaba nodded, "Yes. After ferrying your- Sheriff to his troops. I need something to cleanse my mind and my nose. If there's nothing else."

Maleficent moved fast, taking the broom from Elphaba's hand, "I'll take that."

Elphaba shook her head, "All you'll be able to do with it is sweep. Look. Happily Ever After's under attack from all sides. The Sheriff's troops on the west, Cyclops from the east, Goliath with Belle at his side from the north and..." Elphaba shook her head, "Narissa.. the dragon who makes you seem compassionate, from the south. Torching your enemy's castle." She took back her broom, "Or your enemy's lover's mother's castle." Elphaba left Maleficent standing there.

The two horses ran together. Emma glanced over at Regina, "What happened?"

Regina glanced over at Emma, then back to the trail, "Now you ask me that? Now that we're nearly there?"

"What happened?"

"The protection spell I put over the entire kingdom. I felt it fall."

The gates to the palace and its grounds appeared. When the guards saw them coming they stepped in front of the gates. But then they saw that neither woman or horse was going to stop, and they cranked open the gates, getting far out of the way. Emma threw a thanks over her shoulder as they flew by.

The horses came to a halt on their own as Emma and Regina got to the palace stairs. They both dismounted and Emma had to jog to keep up with Regina's purposeful strides. She marched into the great room and right up to King James, took him by the collar, and threw him into his own throne on the dais. "You idiot."

Snow started to try and get in between Regina and James, but Emma held her back, "She's going to..."

"Shhh..."

"You call yourself a King. You want to know why Maleficent hadn't attacked Happily Ever After yet?"

James rearranged himself in his throne, he'd landed quite sideways, and tried to look royal. "Because she knows that she cannot beat us."

Regina put one hand on each of the throne's arm rests and leaned down so she was nose to nose with James. "No, idiot, because she couldn't get through the protection spell. MY spell."

James tried to sit up straighter, but Regina didn't move. "Look Regina... I'm supposed to just trust that you're not working with her. Trust that you have the best interest of Happily Ever After in mind?"

"I'm not working with her. For whatever... insane reason... I chose to try and work within your damn world instead of taking Emma and Henry away with me." She glanced back at Emma, "Guess I have some of my father in me after all huh?"

A guard came running in, "A- a dragon. The southern forest. It's burning. It's all- burning."

Regina whirled, her mouth open to ask the question, but Emma voiced it first, "What about the forest north of us here?"

The guard shook his head, "No, not yet."

Glinda entered, "The north is being attacked by a large giant. The west, an army, the east, another large giant, this one with only one eye." Her gaze went to Regina. "It was your protective spell."

Regina stared at Glinda from the royal dais, her hands on hips and looking every bit a ruler as James looked very unlike one. "And the dragon."

"Yes."

Regina closed her eyes for a moment, "We can't let her get past the palace."

Emma queried, "Her?"

Regina nodded, walking down the dais' stairs. "Narissa. A very ill tempered witch dragon. Lost her kingdom many, many years, centuries ago. I don't know how long exactly. We need catapults, bows, and your best archers, oh, and pits of fire along the southern wall. But, don't let anyone fire at her yet, and try to keep the preparations as... usual looking as you can... uh, guard. I don't know your name."

"Clark your highne- ah... it's Clark."

Both Emma and Regina shared a look and Emma smiled a little, "Prepare your men Clark. There will be deaths today."

Phelan, Red and Granny appeared in the doorway as Regina and Emma were exiting. "Phelan- Wolf, whatever.. good. I need one of your hairs- your real hair." She paused by Glinda as she was about to leave the great room. "You made the wrong choice- whoever you are- I may not be the best person in Happily Ever After, but you've just unleashed hell on this kingdom." She got in one last shot, "Hope that makes you happy."

The great room fell eerily silent. Only Snow, James and Glinda in it. James went to a window and looked out, "I... damn."

James and Snow's gazes met, "Okay. Regina's right. Arrows and catapults will slow her down, but you know the one thing that'll kill her. My sword."

Snow caught James' arm before he could leave the room, "Come back Prince Charming. For our baby." James swung Snow into his arms and kissed her with everything he had. "I love you Snow White. For always and forever." He put Snow down and put his hand on Snow's belly, "You too in there kiddo. I'll be back. Just get Regina to get Narissa to land outside the palace somewhere and I'll finish the job for her." James smirked at that, "Cut off her head with my sword."

"Narissa's?"

James chuckled, "Sure, yes, yep, that's who I meant the whole time. And, tell Regina that I'm trusting her with my life up there."

"I will." Snow didn't quite let James go, and kissed him again, "I love you too James."

And with that he inclined his head towards Glinda and was gone.

Snow stood in the room for another moment, her hand on her pregnant belly, then turned and started up the stairs to the southern walls.

Glinda looked towards the west, then east. She shook her head, "My mess. I should help clean it up. East first I guess... East always seems to come first..." and she was gone as well.

Doc applied a tourniquet to a young man of the Royal Army. "Henry. Stay here."

"Doc..." He barely stopped himself from stomping his foot. That wouldn't be the best way to get Doc to take him seriously, "I can help Doc."

"No."

One of the Royal Soldiers woke up and started screaming, he'd lost his arm in the fighting with Goliath. Henry waited until Doc and his helper were occupied and then in the blink of an eye he was out the door.

He made a beeline for the fighting, but was knocked down as Goliath threw a soldier backwards into him. Henry landed on a smooth, round rock and picked it up, looking down at it, up to the giant, and back down to it. The bible weren't his favorite stories, but he knew that one. After a moment he shook his head, he wasn't that good a shot, but, he was fast, and that gave him another idea.

Glinda appeared on the eastern border. The royal army wasn't doing too badly against the Cyclops, but none of those with spears were quite good enough or strong enough to hit the Cyclops' eye.

But, when one of the throwers hefted another try towards the big monster Glinda took a hold of the spear with magic and with her boost it hit the monster square in the eye. Firmly embedding itself.

Glinda didn't wait to see what the soldiers did next as the Cyclops crashed to the ground, somehow she knew that the army attacking Happily Ever After on the western border wouldn't be quite so easy to defeat as the Cyclops.

James stood on the ground and looked up his castle wall. He faintly heard Regina ordering the first catapults to let loose, then the archers. Fire tinged with all colors of the rainbow, Regina's spells, flew towards Narissa. Some hit, some missed. None made her pause for long. James found himself impressed that when the fire tipped arrows landed in the forest the fire magically blinked out as well. He mumbled, "Must have been Emma's idea."

"It wasn't, it was hers."

James looked to one side, then the other. On one side stood Emma, on the other, Phelan. "No... Wolf, you're guarding Snow and Emma..."

Emma cut him off, "Ruby... sorry, Red's guarding Snow. And your wife will be fine as long as we do our jobs. Ready?"

James drew his sword, "You'll be a good Queen." He glanced up, "Hope she has something mor-"

He fell silent as the biggest, reddest, and brightest fireball he'd ever seen hurtled towards the swooping Narissa. "Right-"

Emma gave him a shove as she and Phelan drew their borrowed swords. "That's our cue."

Henry darted through the trees. Leaving a trail of rope behind him. It was sort of fun. Of course, when Mom and Emma got home it wouldn't be as fun, he'd get yelled at for sure. But, Grandpa James had taught him that sometimes it was better to ask for forgiveness than permission.

He tied the rope in a knot that Snow had taught him and then took a deep breath. He hoped that his plan would work as well in Happily Ever After as it had on Hoth for Luke."

He dashed out from the trees. He wanted Goliath to see him.

Grumpy and Sleepy gave a yell when they saw him. He threw up a hand, the international, and apparently the multi-world signal for stop. It worked, and then everything happened at once. Goliath caught sight of him and ran, or tried to run towards him, but HEnry had used the rope so that any forward movement would cause the rope to tighten, causing the giant to trip. And boy did he trip and face planted just as Henry got out of the way.

Goliath wailed, "Belle, Belle... don't leave me here Belle."

Grumpy frowned, "Sleepy, Bashful, scout the woods for Belle. Doc, Sneezy, Happy, help me tie this thing up more securely. Henry..." Grumpy glared at Henry, then slapped him on the back so heavily that Henry stumbled forward a step. "Good job kid. Go with Sleepy and Bashful... find Belle with them."

The three on foot got to Narissa just as she was starting to regain her footing. Emma and Phelan quickly threw a rope over her, but it only partially worked. And as Narissa threw out her arms, her claws bared, she managed to get Emma across the gut.

That put James into a frenzy, and he went at Narissa, sword up, but, he never got there. As the stake on Phelan's side came up he got one of Narissa's claws across the face and neck.

Emma gave a yell and dove for his sword, pain shooting up and down her body, but the fast, non-injured feet of Phelan got there first. She picked up the sword and jumped directly at Narissa. With a thundering growl that was in no way anywhere near being human she swung and cut Narissa's head from the rest of her body.

Emma cradled James in her arms one hand on his neck trying to staunch the blood. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry James..."

James coughed, "Prt... protect your mother."

Emma nodded, "Always James."

James smiled sadly, "C-can you call me... father?"

"Snow, and your child, they'll be fine- Dad."

James closed his eyes and Phelan put a hand on Emma's shoulder. "We have to get you back to the castle, or you'll die too Emma."

Emma put her hand over her mouth and moved suddenly out from under James and to the side, throwing up over and over until she was dry heaving. "I- I don't think I can walk."

Phelan sheathed the dragon slaying sword, "Gotcha covered."

Glinda was tired. This Sheriff of Nottingham's army just kept coming and coming. She was so tired that she'd picked up a sword and was fighting shoulder to shoulder with the Royal Army because her spells were becoming quite hit and miss.

If she could only get to their leader, this Sheriff. She'd seen him through the fighting a couple of times, but she needed to get to him. She had enough left in her for one, perhaps two spells. A Captain bumped into her and she caught him before he could fall to the ground, "Captain... I have a plan."

Maleficent stormed into the library. "Show me..."

Elphaba looked up, "You have the power to do that yourself."

Maleficent thrust a pan of water at Elphaba so hard that some of it splashed onto her dress. She looked down at it for a second, then back up to Maleficent who spoke, "No matter what I do, it will not show me. Two rabbits, a lamb, even a damn goat-"

Elphaba stood there, the pan in her hands, perfectly still except for her cheek that twitched once, twice. "Animals, you... killed them for, for your magic?"

Maleficent looked at Elphaba as if she were insane, "Of course I did. They're animals. Show me the borders. Now."

Elphaba frowned and concentrated on the pan. First the ruins of a battle lay scattered in the west. In the middle of it lay a very beautiful, very pink ball gown, and just beyond the battlefield the retreating army of the Sheriff of Nottingham.

"Next.. show me the east."

Elphaba frowned, still stuck on why the dress felt familiar, but the scene changed to one of a lot of very joyous Royal soldiers and a dead Cyclops.

"South."

A wavy vision of just outside of Snow and James' castle came into view. A bloody Phelan carried Emma and James, one over each shoulder. They watched as Regina, Red and Snow appeared.

Phelan waved off Red and instead knelt down next to Emma and winced as Regina pulled back Emma's shirt and revealed a big claw mark on Emma's abdomen.

"Next... North... show me North Elphaba."

But Elphaba paused as another figure appeared by the castle. The clothes, the dress wasn't as pink as usual, the face looked drawn, and the usually perfectly coiffed hair was all in a disarray, but Elphaba would know that face, eyes, nose, lips anywhere.

"North..."

"I-"

Maleficent gripped Elphaba by the shoulder and agonizing pain rippled through the green witch. "I may not have all my powers for whatever reason, but some are still there. North, show me North."

The scene turned to one that didn't cause Maleficent happiness. Belle, hands tied and being dragged between Sleepy and Bashful, Henry right behind them. And Goliath, also quite trussed up were what she saw. Maleficent used her free hand to slap the water, dismissing the vision.

"No, no... NO. It's that boy... it's always that damn boy." She sent another jolt into Elphaba, "We're going on a little trip with your handy broom. Gulliver."

Gulliver appeared from nowhere. "Mistress."

"The broom. All three of us will go... and... deal with the boy."