Chapter 15: Jafar's Apprentice

(*FLASHBACK TO AGRABAH*)

It had been one month since Jafar overthrew his father, the Sultan, and took power as the new ruler of Agrabah. The Sultan was put in a cage in Wonderland, where no one could find him. The only other person with a claim to the throne was Princess Jasmine, but she and her husband Aladdin fled the city and we're now living on Hangman's Island in the Enchanted Forest with Prince Eric and Ariel. Jafar now walked the halls of his palace, trying to work out how he could find the last genie. The first one was easy to acquire. The second one was difficult to obtain. He and Amara had to fight Princess Elsa in Arendelle to get it. Now, he just had to find the third genie. Then, he could cast the spell using Amara in her snake staff form and become the most powerful wizard in all the realms. He would even be more powerful than a god. Jafar entered his throne room and found two strangers standing in the center of the room. One was a tall, grown man. He had black hair, a beard, and wore black robes. The other was a teenaged boy, probably age sixteen, with pale skin and black hair. He also wore black robes.

"How dare you break in here." Jafar said.

"Calm down Jafar." The tall man said. "I didn't come here to fight."

"Who are you?" Jafar asked.

"I am Hades." He said. "The God of the Underworld."

Jafar suddenly fell silent. He never expected to be visited by a god.

"I'm sorry if I offended you." Jafar said with a slight hint of fear in his voice.

The eyes on Jafar's snake staff started to glow bright red and it started to shake. Jafar was able to calm it though.

"I'm sorry." Jafar said. "I don't know what's gotten into her."

"I do." Hades said. "Years ago I knew the woman who is now your magic staff."

"Is that why you're here?" Jafar asked. "You want to change her back?"

"No." Hades said. "She made it clear to me a long time ago that she didn't want me to interfere in her life in any way."

"Then why are you here?" Jafar asked.

"This is my son, Iago." Hades said. "I want you to teach him the ways of dark magic."

"I am honored that you would ask me, but would he not learn better from you, a god?" Jafar asked.

"He doesn't care enough to teach me himself." Iago said.

"Iago!" Hades snapped. "I do care about you. I'm just very busy. I want you to be a master and I don't have the time to teach you myself. Jafar here has learned from the best."

"I learned from Amara." Jafar said.

"And who do you think taught her?" Hades asked. "Will you teach my son?"

"Certainly." Jafar said. "If it pleases the gods."

"I don't want to." Iago said.

"I don't care." Hades said. "This will be good for you."

Hades then disappeared in a cloud of magic smoke.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Jafar said.

"Whatever." Iago said.

"Hey!" Jafar yelled. "I don't care if you're the son of a god. You're my apprentice now and you will respect me."

(*PRESENT DAY IN STORYBROOKE*)

Storybrooke

Regina, Belle, and Mary Margaret regrouped in Mary Margaret's apartment. Henry and baby Neal were there as well. The three women sat at the kitchen table discussing what to do next while Henry played with the baby upstairs.

"Jafar, Ingrid, and the Jabberwocky." Belle said. "We saw them escape and we don't know where they are now."

Suddenly, a cloud of green smoke appeared by the door. When it cleared, the Wicked Witch was standing there with her green skin and black dress.

"I know where they are." Zelena said.

"So the Jabberwocky was right." Regina said. "You are still alive. How can you be? I watched our mother kill you."

"I've got a few tricks up my sleeve sis." Zelena said. "I'm afraid the situation is much worse than you think. Jafar has left Storybrooke to go back to Agrabah. However, with one dark wizard gone, another one is here to take his place. Rumplestiltskin is back in town."

"What?" Belle asked.

"It's true." Zelena said. "He's not alone either. He's working with Maleficent, the Jabberwocky, and the Snow Queen."

"Maleficent?" Mary Margaret asked in a tone of fear. She hadn't seen Maleficent since she and David sent her children to another world back in the Enchanted Forest.

"She's been resurrected." Zelena said.

"What do they want?" Regina asked.

"What you want." Zelena said. "They want to find the Author and make him change everyone's stories to benefit them. They're going to use Pinocchio to do it. They're staying at a cabin deep in the woods west of town."

"Why are you telling us this?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Because they need to be stopped." Zelena said.

"Why don't you stop them yourself?" Regina asked.

"Because I don't care." Zelena said. "You, on the other hand, care a lot. Goodbye now. You'll see me again very soon."

"Why is that?" Regina asked.

"I have the Vorpal Blade." Zelena said before disappearing in a cloud of magic smoke.

"Something's wrong." Regina said. "She would never just help us without it benefitting her in some way."

"At least now we know what we're up against." Mary Margaret said. "What's the Vorpal Blade?"

"It's a powerful sword." Belle said. "I've read about it. It's the only thing in all the realms that can contain the Jabberwocky."

"So if we want to stop the Jabberwocky..." Mary Margaret started to say.

"We'll have to go to Zelena." Regina said. "That witch is up to something."

"We need to get to Marco and Pinocchio before the villains do." Belle said. "Maybe if I can talk to Rumple he'll stop this."

"He's chosen power over you before." Regina said. "A few times actually."

"It's still worth a try." Belle said.

"I'll go tell Henry to stay here with Neal while we're gone." Mary Margaret said before rushing upstairs.

While the three heroes planned to face the villains in defense of little Pinocchio, Rafi and Hercules were attempting to free Anastasia from her prison in the Underworld.