"Daniel! Daniel!" Daniel opened his eyes to see Eliza looking down at him. He closed his eyes immediately against the sting of the smoke in the air. He could hear fires burning and Carlos calling out to Octavia. There was the sound of scraping metal and Eliza was still very loudly yelling his name. "Daniel, wake up! Are you okay?!" The redhead began frantically shaking him and even though he was still stunned and still weak from the detonation spell, he forced himself to get up and move. He opened his eyes again and scanned the destruction caused by his spell. There was a deep crater where the tower once stood. Hector was the one moving the metal, pushing a huge chunk away from him while Octavia and Carlos knelt over Persephone, both of them having to support the girl when she tried to get up.

"I-I'm up." He groaned, trying to sit up. Eliza put one of his arms around her neck and pulled him up. She limped with him away from the blast area, to the edge of the clearing and he sat down with his back against a tree. "We should move. Pan'll be on his way."

"We need energy to do that." Eliza said. "But the best spell I know will draw them right to us."

"They're probably on their way here anyway." He surmised.

"You want to fight?"

"I can't in this condition."

Persephone let out a thud as she was unceremoniously dropped next to him. "Ow! What the heck?"

"Sorry." Octavia said, leaning against the tree.

"Fight or flight guys." Eliza looked up as Hector and Carlos sat nearby. "I can have us ready to fight but the enemies will be alerted to our location."

"Fight." Persephone said instantly.

"Fight." Hector agreed.

"Fight." Octavia nodded.

Carlos eventually shrugged. With his decision, it was decided. Eliza moved Daniel, laying him flat on his back. She raised her hands, her eyes glowing green. Tendrils of green light began coming out of the forest, pulled towards her. She moved three of the tendrils to Daniel and he immediately felt new energy replacing the loss from the detonation spell. She moved more to each of the others. The grass started turning black and the trees around them began to shrivel. The tendrils of magic grew thicker as she pulled in more energy.

"Sorry forest." Eliza whispered. "Are you okay, Daniel?"

"I'm feeling better, but we need a battle plan if we're going to fight."

"We just have to hold out long enough for the moms to get here." Hector said with an evil grin. "Then it's all over. We get to see this place burn!"

"Ssh!" Octavia snapped. "Quiet. We don't want them to find us before we're ready."

Carlos remedied this by conjuring a ring of magic around them that hid them from prying eyes and they grew quiet as they gathered their strength. After a few minutes they heard some Lost Boys traipsing through the darkness, but they never found their hiding place due to Eliza looping the green tendrils throughout the area so they couldn't be followed back to their location. And so, they waited and conserved their energy for what was to come. After a while they heard new voices. Daniel caught a glimpse of red and peeked out of the shield.

"Psst. Emma!" He called. The blonde whipped around and a small figure whipped past Emma and Henry almost tackled him in a bearhug.

"You're okay! Pan said that you were imprisoned."

"I was and I'm okay. I'm glad you're okay too." Daniel smiled, glancing behind him at Emma, Snow, David, some pirate and to his surprise, his father. "You have your heart, right?"

Henry nodded. "Mom got it back for me."

"Actually, it was Regina." Emma shrugged.

"Where is she?" Daniel asked.

"Guys, come on." David said. "We should get out of here. There are more of Pan's men nearby."

"We're not going anywhere with you." Octavia scoffed. Hector and Carlos followed her glare to the Charmings.

"What's going on?" Henry asked.

"Your grandparents are hypocritical bastards who deserve to meet dragon fire!" Carlos swiftly stepped in front of Octavia before she could do anything rash.

"What is she talking about?" Henry looked at Daniel.

An explosion nearby drew their attention and Emma hurried to get the children under cover. Pan burst out of the bushes, flying erratically as a giant wolf clung to his arm. Daniel wanted to call out to his werewolf mother but he didn't want to distract her. If Ruby was here, then Regina wasn't far behind. True to that thought, Regina emerged from the bushes moments later, firing fireballs at the flying manboy. One of them managed to hit him and it sent him and Ruby crashing into the dirt. It took Ruby too long to recover. By the time she began to move, Pan was already healing himself. She got back to her feet and moved to attack again and Pan swung his arm unleashing another blast of magic that sent the wolf flying all the way across the clearing. She didn't get up...

"Ruby!" Regina yelled, trying to keep her eyes on Pan. "Ruby?!" The wolf didn't move. Daniel dashed forward, pushing away his grandparents as they tried to stop him. He fell to his knees next to Ruby and tried to shake her as gently as he could. He didn't want to hurt her any more than she already was. She wasn't responding. Henry and Eliza came to his side. He tuned out Henry's panicked questions and looked at Eliza.

"Can you help her?" He asked. "I don't know that many healing spells and I haven't practiced enough to use them. I know you're weak right now, but if you can do anything...please."

Eliza raised her hands over Ruby's side, her palms glowing with a golden light. He touched the wolf's side, listening and feeling for the rise and fall that would tell him that she was still breathing. He felt nothing except for his heart slowly sinking into his stomach. When Eliza put her hands down, he knew it.

"What are you doing? She's not waking up!" Henry yelled. "Heal her!"

"I can't!" Eliza said. "She's already gone. It's-it's…" She frowned. "It's not right."

"No." Daniel looked up and whatever was left of his heart was gone at seeing Regina's sorrow. She launched another fireball at Pan before running to Ruby's side. Her hands were shaking as she cast a spell over the fallen wolf. Ruby's fur lit up purple for a few moments before fading away. That was when his mother broke.

"Something's wrong." Eliza said softly. Daniel glanced at her, but his eyes remained on Regina as she fell to her knees next to Ruby, desperately begging her to wake up.

/

"Daniel! Henry!" Regina yelled from behind Pan's prison. "It's not real! They're not us!" Ruby threw herself against the invisible wall, letting out a growl as she grabbed her shoulder. She shook off the pain and crouched to start digging while Regina searched for a flaw in the prison's design. She placed her hands flat against the transparent wall and let out a pulse of magic. The spell was solid all the way around, but perhaps Ruby was on the right track. She wanted to start digging with Ruby, but she didn't have the energy. She was…powerless…and it made her angry.

"That son of a bitch! I'm going to rip his head off." The werewolf growled.

"You'll have to fight me for it." Regina scowled. She glanced up to see that Pan had taken her heart and Henry and Daniel were trying to help her get up. The other children had come up to try and help but they froze in their tracks when Pan gloated over having Regina's heart and kept gloating over their defeat. "He's going to kill me in front of them too."

"He's an idiot if he thinks he can get away with this. What kind of game is he playing?"

"NO!" Both women looked up as Peter Pan crushed the heart. Daniel was the one screaming. Regina wanted to cover her ears against the wretched sound of her son's pain. It pulled at her very being and all she wanted to do was console him and get him to stop.

"You son of a bitch!" Pan got the shock of a lifetime when some of the other children rushed him, firing off magic spells of their own that seemed to catch him off guard. Emma came out of the bushes with her gun at the ready, but she was met with a barrage of Lost Boys and armed soldiers who came to protect their leader. Everything was going to hell. Where the hell was Mal-

The sky was suddenly lit up as if the heavens themselves had turned to flames. A firestorm was unleashed on Neverland as Maleficent and Lilith finally arrived, spewing waves of fire that reduced the island to cinder and had everyone running for cover. Ursula and Cruella leaped off of Mal's back and landed in the center of battle. Cruella had a black and white shotgun and Ursula carried her trident while her tentacles whipped around, already picking up enemies and flinging them like they weighed nothing. Amidst all the chaos, the Wicked Witch landed next to her body where her sons were still kneeling, still reeling from her "death". The witch looked down at the children and her body and her eyes lit up bright green. Emerald lightning crackled into existence around her and she motioned to her daughter.

In the midst of the chaos, Daniel hadn't moved. Crimson cords of magic were floating in the air around him and his eyes had turned red. They were locked onto Pan like a tiger about to pounce on its prey. Henry kept shaking his brother, but his words fell on deaf ears. The witch's daughter grabbed Daniel's arm. It was just enough to break his concentration and he turned to look at her. She gestured to Regina and Ruby's bodies as the witch dissolved them into the magic they were created from. That only enraged Daniel even further, but the witch beat him to it.

"WHERE IS SHE?!" Pan barely managed to escape the barrage of green fireballs that the witch sent his way. Electricity flared into existence around her right arm. She fired the bolt into the air and it arced from person to person, knocking out every Lost Boy and armed soldier from Pan's army. The witch marched towards Pan. "Where is Regina?" She demanded. More emerald green lightning began collecting in her hand.

"I don't like when new players interrupt my games." Pan hissed. His gaze suddenly zeroed in on Henry. He snapped his fingers and his Shadow appeared, diving straight for Henry. Lily teleported in front of the boy and grabbed the shadow's neck. Fire exploded from her palm, burning away the strange creature into nothingness. Pan's scowl deepened.

Mal stepped forward with Lily. "At this point, you should know that you're going to die tonight, Pan. How slowly or quickly that death will take is up to you."

Pan only scoffed. "This is my island-"

Lily let out a yell as she fired a blast of red magic to her right. It ripped through everything in its path, leaving a deep trench in the earth. "We're going to send Neverland into the sea. Your island will be gone, your name, your legacy forgotten. It's over."

Mal tilted her head, glancing at Daniel, who was still fighting to get at Pan. The dragon visibly perked up. "You know, it would be easy for us to take revenge, Lilith, but we were not the ones who were imprisoned and chained and tortured." Lily exchanged a sinister smile with her mother. Ursula dropped the tentacle holding Daniel and he shot forward, only for Mal to grab the back of his shirt.

"Let me go! I'll kill him! Where's my mom?!"

For a moment Mal's murderous grin faltered. Regina's heart twisted seeing the sadness on her friend's face. She pounded on the wall of her prison, desperately trying to tell them the truth. Pan only looked on with a smile, relishing in their pain like the demented little bastard he was. He had to know there wasn't any coming back for this. The fools he'd allied with and used as cannon fodder had been defeated, the children he had been using as batteries for his island had escaped, and he no longer had Henry's heart, the whole reason for this nonsense. He had to know he'd lost the game.

Zelena glanced at the dragons and seemed to understand their intentions. She waved her daughters closer and touched their shoulders. Green electricity spread from her fingertips, racing across their skin and their eyes lit up bright green.

Mal touched Daniel on the back and light poured from her palm. Ursula reached out with her tentacles, casting the same spell on the other children. After a moment, Mal stepped back. Before the light had a chance to dissipate, Daniel burst forward in an explosion of fire. One of the children followed while another changed into a dragon and joined Lily in burning down the forest. Ursula tossed her trident to the boy with black and white hair, who caught it and slammed it against the ground. The earth split at his feet and Regina and Ruby both panicked. They needed to move before these kids destroyed Neverland around them.

Zelena suddenly appeared next to them. Ruby called out to her but the witch didn't respond. She conjured something in her hand that Regina couldn't quite see. She rolled it in both of her hands and crushed it. There was a sharp clink that made Ruby flinch and scratch her ear. The sealing spell was broken instantly. Zelena let out a sigh of relief. "You're okay."

A part of Regina was instantly on guard around this woman. Breaking a sealing spell of that magnitude was unreal. Someone with that kind of power was someone to be wary of. Not to mention her reaction when she realized that Pan had pretended to kill her. She needed to know more, but not right now. She leaned on Ruby and looked around for her sons. Daniel and the other children were chasing Pan down. The manboy was trying to fly away, but Zelena's daughters were quick to cut him off. It seemed that only through Pan's skill in healing himself was he able to withstand the onslaught of the irate children. Luckily, Mal was watching over them. She knew the dragon would protect them, but she had to get to Daniel and let him know she was okay.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Zelena asked.

"She's exhausted and she tried to lift one of those spells. She passed out and she stopped breathing for a few seconds."

Zelena glared at her. "Foolishness. You could've died."

"I needed to get to my children." Regina snapped.

"And you think dying in the process is a worthy sacrifice? Would your sons feel the same way?" Zelena touched her arm and backed away.

Regina gasped when she felt the healing spell take hold. Having someone else heal her for the first time in a long time was an odd feeling. Zelena's magic also felt strange. Healing spells were often soft and soothing but hers felt like it was burning. She shrugged it off though and ran towards the flames in the distance. Daniel was still fighting, his rage and Mal's energy lending him the strength and power to take on such a powerful practitioner of magic. The other children were right behind him, following up with attack after attack. Mal watched nearby, only stepping in to block all of Pan's attempts to retaliate or defend himself. Finally, Pan tried to fly away, having had enough. Regina saw one of the girls snap her arm towards him and she stopped short seeing the bright green whip latch onto Pan's leg. The girl pulled and Pan slammed into the ground. The black and white haired boy used the blonde boy as a launchpad with the intent to bring the trident down on Pan's head, but the manboy managed to grab it. He brought his arm back to hit the boy, but a tentacle snaked around his leg and yanked him off his feet. Ursula picked him up, letting him hang by his ankle. She smiled when he raised his arm to fire a spell. Before he could release it, she repeatedly slammed him into the dirt, switching tentacles until the manboy was knocked out.

"Mal!" Regina called. The dragon whipped around and burst into a smile when she saw her. She blinked and instantly the dragon was in front of her.

"I knew that son of a bitch couldn't kill you."

"It was all a trick to hurt my sons." She looked around for her boys again. Henry was safe, nestled off to the side with the Charmings. Daniel was on the ground, guarded by two of the girls. The witch was already making her way over to them. She quickly followed, meeting Ruby just as she arrived as well. She dropped to her knees next to her son, who seemed unhurt, but he was coughing and rubbing his chest. The girls gasped when they saw her and started shaking him.

"Daniel, they're here! They're alive!"

Daniel's head snapped up and Ruby was the first one he saw. The werewolf had no warning before he tackled her to the ground and wrapped his arms around her neck. "I thought you were gone, Rumi."

"Never."

"You're real." He leaned back to pinch her arm.

"Ow."

He pinched his own arm and nodded. "I'm real. So Pan lied."

Ruby nodded. "All of it was fake. He just wanted to hurt us."

"That bastard! Sorry."

"In this instance, I'll allow it. Now turn around."

Daniel spun around and nearly tackled Regina as well. She let out a sigh at holding her son again. Daniel and Henry were both safe. She didn't realize she was shaking until Daniel said something about it. For the past few days she hadn't stopped. Always moving, always running, always fighting to get her children back. Now that she had, she realized just how tired she was.

"Mom?"

"Regina?"

Everything just faded…

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Regina dreamt of nothing after she collapsed. She had never been so exhausted in her life. She couldn't even really celebrate having the boys back before her body had given out after days without sleep and having used her magic past its limits. And so…she slept. She was even too tired for nightmares and for that she was glad. However, it wasn't long later before she felt hands frantically shaking her awake, dragging her from the bliss of nothingness and back into a state of worry, anger and aching tiredness.

"Mom! Wake up!"

Regina forced her eyes to open hearing the desperation in Daniel's voice. "I'm awake. W-what is it?" She blinked a few times, willing her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting in the cabin.

"You're okay!" Daniel threw his arms around her neck and nearly strangled her.

"I'm here, dear. I'm here." She whispered.

"May I?" She heard someone say.

"Yes! Please!" Daniel answered.

"She will still need to rest when you get home, but I can share my energy with her." Everything suddenly became bright and Regina grit her teeth against the rush of energy that flooded her body. Someone was casting a spell on her, one that erased any aches and pains and pushed away the feelings of exhaustion. The fog in her brain was lifted and she felt good as new. She blinked and everything came into focus at once. Daniel was still hanging off her neck but Ruby was next to him, smiling brightly, and she spotted Henry off to the side.

"What happened? Is everyone okay?" Regina glanced around, searching for her healer, but she saw no one else in the room.

"You wouldn't wake up." Daniel said softly. She felt him trembling. "I needed to know you were okay."

"It's okay, Daniel." Regina wrapped her arms around him and hugged him back just as tightly as he'd hugged her. With her sons back in her arms and safe, she felt at peace, like she could finally relax. After a minute of hugging Daniel, she looked to Henry and opened one arm. He was a bit hesitant to accept and it stung a little, but it was better than nothing. Ruby gave her a kiss on the forehead. It was indescribably wonderful to have her family back together again.

After a minute, she excused herself to go clean up in the bathroom that was surprisingly modern. There was a box on the sink with her name on it and a tiny dragon as the signature. She opened it and was blasted in the face with purple smoke. When it cleared she was nice and clean and her clothes had been replaced with a black pantsuit and a black silk shirt underneath. She opened the door and looked at Ruby, gesturing to the new appliances. "Let me guess. Mal?"

Ruby smirked as she stepped into the bathroom and closed the door. "Yep. She was not a fan of Killian's restroom accommodations." Regina let out a surprised squeak when Ruby kissed her, pressing her against the wall. She surrendered instantly to the overwhelming affection and was a little dazed when Ruby finally stopped to plant a kiss to her forehead.

"What was that for?" Regina panted softly.

"I don't know. Maybe it was the fact that you almost died a few times back there." Ruby said. She too was trembling. She held Regina a bit too tightly and was as close as she could possibly get to her wife. "I don't know what I would do without you. You scared the hell out of me."

"I'm here." Regina whispered. "It's okay now. We did it. The boys are safe now. We're safe. It's okay, baby."

"I wish I was as strong as you."

"You don't need to wish. Having your support gives me strength, Ruby." She could tell that she was talking to a brick wall when Ruby didn't reply, that it would take more to reassure of her own strengths. "You are strong, my dear." Regina looked up into those pretty blue eyes that she loved so much. "You really thought Peter Pan could take us out? Don't be ridiculous."

"I was still pretty useless." Ruby frowned. "In fact I was a hindrance. You didn't need me to-"

"I always need you " Regina fixed her with a sharp glare. "Always. And even if there comes a time where you aren't specifically needed, I'll always want you. Always." She frowned a bit at the sight of Ruby's lip quivering but before she could say anything Ruby's lips slammed into hers.

"I love you so much."

"I love you too."

The pair soon stepped back out of the bathroom and found Daniel in tears. "What happened?" Ruby demanded. She glanced at Henry, eyes narrowing at him while Regina went to comfort their son. "What did you say to him?"

"I didn't-"

"Nothing." Daniel said. "I'm…sorry."

"For what, dear?" Regina asked, conjuring a white cloth to dry his tears.

"I lost control." He whispered. "I lost control of myself and my magic and I could've hurt people. I don't want to…"

"It's okay, Daniel."

He shook his head and pushed her hands away. "I wanted to hurt Pan. I wanted to kill him."

"And you think we didn't?" Regina asked. She couldn't really be upset about something she also wanted to do. She glanced at Henry, who refused to look at either of his mothers or his brother and she could only imagine what he must've said to have set Daniel back so far. To her wayward son magic made you evil and not only was that stupid, but he apparently was okay with vocalizing that to his brother who possessed magic. "You are not evil, Daniel. You're not a villain. Your magic doesn't make you evil and it doesn't make you a villain. Anyone who tells you differently is a fool."

"I should've-"

"It's done." Regina said. "What happened is done." She put an arm around him and rested her chin on his head. "We can't change the past."

"I-I'll do better." He whispered. "I'll work on my temper. I won't be-"

Ruby's whimpering ceased his murmuring and both looked at the large wolf that now dwarfed them. She knew at once that it wasn't really Ruby. It was the wolf. Regina was on her feet instantly and pushed Daniel behind her. "Henry, get to the door." She ordered. He quickly fell to command. The wolf growled and tilted its head, peering around her. "Bring Ruby back."

"I wanted to speak to my pup." The wolf insisted.

"Mom, what's going on?"

"Ruby is having problems with her wolf." Regina answered. "Ruby-"

The wolf surprised her by laying down on the floor, laying its head on its paws. "What your mother says is true, Daniel. Having magic doesn't make you evil, it makes you special. It is yours and you can use it however you please." The wolf glared a bit at Henry and let out a little growl as it turned back to Daniel. "It is very easy for people to tell you what you should have done after the fact. These same people have not walked in your shoes and do not have the power you have. Ignore them."

Daniel wiped his eyes again. "So you're Mom's wolf?"

"I am and I am very proud of you." It looked at Henry. "And for you, I am disappointed." Henry's jaw dropped slightly and Regina could tell that the wolf's words had cut deep. "Ruby may feel differently, mind you. I am glad that you're okay, but you should not treat your brother as if he is a potential danger." The wolf bared its teeth and its ears went flat against its head as it leaned close and spoke so softly Regina almost missed its next words. "If you don't want your brother to be evil, stop telling him his magic makes him evil. All you're doing is scaring him and it's either going to make him hate himself or hate you. Do you want that?"

"Of course not."

"Then act like it." The wolf growled, shifting back into human form. Ruby rubbed her forehead as she came back to her senses.

A knock at the door broke the tense atmosphere. Emma peered inside before she opened the door. "Um, it's good to see you awake, Regina." Regina waved away her words and conjured another cloth for Daniel, who cleaned his face. "Everything okay?"

"Fine. Is there something you wanted?"

"Uh, your friends made dinner."

Regina nodded and stood up. The boys left first, following Emma while Regina looked at her wife in concern. It was deeply disconcerting how easily the wolf seemed to be able to just push Ruby out of her own body now. She didn't know what had changed, but she meant what she said earlier. If she had to find a way to get rid of the wolf entirely to make Ruby's life easier she would do it in a heartbeat.

"Are you okay?" Regina asked.

Ruby nodded. "It wasn't that bad that time. It was just unexpected."

"Maybe Mal can help you."

"Maleficent's a dragon."

"That's true, but she employed all kinds of people and her kingdom was welcoming to all shapeshifters. I'm sure she knows at least a few werewolves and if she can get in contact with them, they may know how to help you."

"I hope so."

Regina took Ruby's hand and led her out of the room. She heard the chatter of children as soon as she crossed the threshold and that, along with the aroma of something cooking, drew her to the dining area.

When Regina stepped into the dining area, she couldn't help smiling at the sight of her old friend. Maleficent was sitting at one of the tables, smirking as she watched the children talk and fill their bellies. The witch was sitting in the corner with her back to the wall, lounging on a trio of barrels with her feet up. Cruella was also situated in a corner of the room. The boy with the black and white hair was wrapped in her fur coat and leaning on her shoulder. Ursula was nowhere to be seen. Lily and her daughter were playing devil's dice with Captain Hook and judging by his expression he was not happy with the current game. The Charmings had taken the left side of the room for their own and Henry made his way over to them immediately. It stung, but she tried to ignore it.

"Regina!" Rufio stood up and loudly greeted her. "Your friend healed me completely. Watch this!" He backed away and crouched before doing a backflip. "See?"

"I am impressed." She grinned. He looked like a whole new person. She wasn't sure of the magic used to heal him, but not only did his wounds seem to be healed but his malnutrition as well. There was color to his cheeks and muscle on him now. He looked like a healthy young man.

"I told you Mal would help you."

"Actually, I didn't do anything." Mal said as she came to hug Regina. "It was all the witch's doing." She motioned to Zelena. "She is one of the strongest healers I've ever seen."

"The Wicked Witch, a healer?" Regina arched an eyebrow at the quiet redhead. "Since when?"

"Surely you are aware of the inaccuracies of our stories that's been going around, Madame Mayor." Zelena replied. "And I am not one of the strongest healers, I am the strongest healer."

Regina walked over to the barrels and she noticed the witch stiffen at her approach. "You are quite confident in your abilities."

"I've spent the majority of my life learning medicine. Rufio took only an hour of my regenerative magic to be completely recuperated."

"She gave me abs too." Rufio grinned, rubbing his stomach.

Flynn turned around to look at Zelena. "Can you give me abs?"

"Well, technically yes, but you could also get abs by eating well and exercising."

"Can you make me taller?"

"Yes, but you could also just wait since you're still a child."

"Can you make me-"

"Probably."

"See in the dark. That would be so cool."

Regina left them to take a seat at the table across from Mal. Ruby went off to get them something to eat from the kitchen, glancing uncertainly at a dejected Daniel. He walked over to the Charmings when they called him but whatever they were saying to him he clearly wasn't listening.

"How is he?" Mal asked.

"I don't know." Regina sighed. "He's upset because he lost control. Henry's got his head wrapped around magic being evil and he doesn't want to be evil and he won't believe me when I try to explain that it isn't true." Mal let out a soft growl. "Before this he was so excited to learn about magic. Truly, you should've seen him. I taught him a language cipher and all he did was read magic books."

"Really?" The dragon hummed.

Regina nodded. "And before the curse broke he was the quietest child I've ever seen and now he could talk your head off about what he learned."

"Hmm." The dragon raised a finger and tilted her head. Whatever she was listening to Regina couldn't hear it and whatever it was, it clearly made her angry. Mal suddenly whipped around and looked at Daniel. She snapped her fingers to get his attention and when he looked up, she motioned him over with a crook of her finger.

"Yes ma'am?"

"I want you to forget everything you've heard tonight, except what your mothers told you." She said firmly.

"But-"

"No buts. Do you know I am?" Daniel shook his head. "My name is Maleficent and I am the Dragon Queen." Daniel's eyes grew comically wide before he swiftly bowed. Then it was Mal's turn to look surprised. "A boy with manners? A rarity."

"I'm sorry." Daniel said, standing up. "I didn't know who you were, but Mom wrote about you in one of her books. She said that you're immortal and one of the most powerful practitioners of magic in the world. Even the Dark One wouldn't mess with you."

"Is that what she said?" Mal smirked. "What else did she say?"

"She wrote about the people in your kingdom. They lived happily and were wealthy and never went hungry and rarely got sick. You trained most of them and they're considered some of the best warriors in the world. Your people love you but you're one of the most fearsome and dangerous creatures to ever exist according to the rest of the world. You can engulf whole kingdoms in flames and once Mom said you crossed the entire Enchanted Forest in only three days. You never stopped flying. And-"

"Okay, that's enough." Mal chuckled, clearly pleased that she had an admirer. "Regina told me that you like to learn about magic, is that true?"

Daniel nodded quickly, but he abruptly stopped. "I did."

"Did? What's changed?"

"I never really thought about how dangerous I could be." He tried to look away, but Mal tapped his chin, refusing to let him withdraw.

"Almost anything can be considered dangerous. What is truly dangerous when it comes to magic is ignorance and inexperience. How do you expect to use it if you take the advice of those idiots over there and just give up on it?" She tossed a quick glare at the Charmings.

"What if I lose control again?" Daniel whispered.

"What if you don't?"

"I will. It's gotten worse since I got my magic."

Mal was quiet for a moment. It was at that moment that Regina realized that everyone else had gone quiet as well and most were watching Mal and her son with interest. "Tell me something, Daniel, what is the driving force behind all magic?"

"Emotion."

"Emotion. Do you think all magic users must feel nothing to keep control of their magic?" He shook his head, brows furrowed in confusion. "You're upset because you lost control of yourself…when you believed your mothers had been murdered. That whole spectacle was Pan's doing and he did it for no other reason than to hurt you and your mothers. Filled with anger, grief, pain, hate, you wanted Pan to pay, didn't you?" Daniel nodded. "You are perfectly entitled to those emotions, you are allowed to feel them. That makes you human. Any person in their right mind would've felt the same thing you felt and wanted to do the same things you wanted to do to Pan. He deserved every bit of that ass kicking he got the other night and more. You are not evil or villainous for that. Unless you go out of your way to hurt others, you are not evil or villainous."

"Magic is not evil either." Zelena added. "Magic is magic. It is what it is. There are evil people who use magic, but they are not evil because they have magic. They are evil because they use their magic to hurt others."

"Do you understand?" Mal asked. Daniel slowly nodded. The dragon stood up and faced the Charmings. "As for all of you, I want you to understand something right now. I know you all have misgivings about magic. You've had to deal with villains, some of you think you know more than others because of a book," She nodded to Henry. "Some of you were raised by the fucking Dark One, can't imagine what kind of existence that was," She nodded to Neal. "I'm sure you all have had bad experiences with magic and people using magic, so your thoughts on magic that it is evil and villainous and corrupting are understandable, but not excusable. You don't get to put that boy in the same box as all the others. I know none of you have ever actually raised a child, but when one wants to learn something, you nurture that, you encourage him, especially when it comes to magic. You don't tell him to ignore it so he can go back to being normal," She paused to glare at Neal. "You don't get to tell him anything because let's be honest, you are irrelevant. Your son has powerful magic and if he doesn't take the time to learn about it and how to control it, he's only going to end up hurting himself or someone he cares about and watch the peasants come for his head."

Regina silently scowled, wondering just what those idiots were saying to her son when she wasn't around. It irked her how they had a claim to her sons and that they believed they deserved to be in their lives. Mal was right. None of them had ever raised a child before. She hated it and there was nothing she could do about it. Henry wanted little to do with her as it was. Any misstep and she would push him away completely. Daniel seemed fine with her. She glanced over at him and he seemed deep in thought. He wasn't wary of her at least, not like he used to be. She hated how divided her family had become since the curse broke and she just didn't know how to fix it. She looked up when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Ruby placed the platter of food on the table in front of her, along with a set of plates. The platter had an odd assortment of food and she believed that whoever cooked it had just cooked everything on the ship. There was bacon, sausages, baked bread, eggs, bowls of some kind of stew with vegetables in it and some grilled fish.

"And who are you to be giving us commands?" She glanced up at Neal and David, indignantly standing up to Maleficent, who had a mischievous smirk on her face. "What gives you the right to make decisions for our son and grandson?"

"Son and grandson? Are you serious? You're the baby snatcher and the thief who left the mother of his children to go to prison. These children don't know you." The dragon laughed. "Actually, I'm going to answer your question with another question. Daniel?"

"Yes, ma'am?" Daniel spun around at the sound of his name.

Mal gave him a genuine smile then. "How would you like to become my student?" Daniel's jaw dropped and Regina giggled softly as a grinning Ruby took a seat next to her.

"You mean-"

"Magic student." The dragon said. "I will teach you anything and everything I know. Your mother said you are a good learner and you can't be any worse than she was."

"Mom was a bad student?"

"Oh I have so many stories-"

"Mal! No." Regina snapped.

"What, Regina? I can't tell my new student embarrassing stories about my former student?"

"Not if it's me!"

The dragon's only reply was that mischievous smirk again. She assumed Mal was coming to Storybrooke then and she could only imagine what the future would hold. Maleficent liked to put on this air of superiority and regality but she could be the most chaotic little demon when she wanted to be. Judging by Cruella and Lily's chuckling, she was in for some shit.

She felt a hand on her arm and looked over at Daniel. "Hmm?"

"Would it be okay if I said yes?" He asked.

"I thought you were done with magic."

"I was, but…" He shook his head, conflicted, but she could see he was practically shaking with newfound excitement. "I'll do better."

"I don't want you to be better, Daniel, I want you to be happy." Regina replied. "Besides, the Dragon Queen is offering to teach you all of her secrets. Don't be the fool your mother was and refuse."

Daniel grinned and threw his arms around her. She laughed and patted his back. When he turned around he was bouncing on his toes. "Yes, Maleficent. I want to be your magic student."

"Excellent!"

"Can you teach us too?" The little girl with green skin asked.

"Me too!" Flynn yelled. "I don't know if I have magic, but I want to learn something too."

"Don't worry," Mal said. "I'll definitely be throwing in some exercises and combat lessons into the mix. We can't have you killing people with such scrawny arms." She lifted one of Daniel's arms and shook her head. "No, my students will be mage warriors!"

"Kill? Mal!" Regina rubbed her temples, already feeling a headache coming on.

"In self defense, Regina. By the gods, you've become so boring."

"Can you teach Mommy too?" The brown haired girl asked.

Mal arched an eyebrow. "The Wicked Witch wants to become a magic student?"

"Only fools believe they've learned everything there is to learn." Zelena replied.

"Well said. If only I could get my grandchildren to have such sentiments." She glanced over at one of the boys who froze mid bite and purposefully leaned back to hide behind Rufio. Mal's declaration brought a new wave of excitement to the children. Regina was pleased to see Daniel happy again. The prospect of training under Mal had seemingly erased the doubts he had before and that pleased her as well. She wanted him to grow and learn everything he could, become stronger than she ever was. As mischievous as Maleficent could be, Regina knew her son was safe with the dragon.

Ruby chuckled softly to her and kissed her cheek. "You should eat."

"Yes, Wife. As you wish." They shared a quick kiss before Regina dug into the vegetable stew.

"Wife?" Both women looked up at Daniel. Even Henry's head snapped up. "You two got married?!"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After getting chewed out by her son and promising to have another ceremony so he could be included, Regina found herself standing on the deck of the Jolly Roger, enjoying the cool night air. Neverland was still dark, but the moon was in a different phase. Time was flowing again. The ship was moored in a small cove and on the beach, Pan was chained and beaten and kept under a heavy magical shield that prevented him from leaving, along with Felix. Mal and the others didn't seem to care about the rest of the Lost Boys and the soldiers because they weren't being held anywhere as far as she could see and there was a protective ring of magic around their little camp. She wasn't sure why they were still here, but if she had to guess it had something to do with Ursula's absence.

She was still tired. It was an ache deep in her bones that just made her want to sleep for a week. She couldn't wait to get home and really rest.

The sound of whispering and heavy breathing drew her attention and she turned her head slightly to see an approaching witch coming towards her. Zelena's behavior continued to confound her. She seemed so nervous whenever she was near Regina, which was completely at odds with her behavior around anyone else. Regina almost wondered if she'd had a run in with the Evil Queen, but that didn't make any sense either because during the fight with Pan she was genuinely enraged when she thought something had happened to Regina, as if she cared. Had they met before? She was sure she would remember someone of Zelena's magical ability, but that may not entirely be true. If they did meet when she was the Evil Queen it was completely possible she had forgotten about her. The Evil Queen was famous for her tunnel vision on Snow White.

"Um, beautiful night, huh?" Zelena came into view, leaning on the railing next to her.

"I suppose." Regina shrugged.

"How do you feel?"

"Still tired, but I'm better than before. You were the one who healed me, aren't you?"

Zelena shrugged. "You needed it."

"Where did you learn your healing magic?"

"Everywhere." She smirked when Regina still looked skeptical. "I was adopted and my adoptive mother died when I was very young because of an illness we were too poor to pay for someone to cure. I made it my mission to become a great healer so I would never lose someone to sickness again."

Regina nodded slowly. Clearly the Wizard of Oz movie got a lot of things wrong about the Wicked Witch of the West. She still wasn't sure how she got wrapped up in all this. Pan needed magic users to power his island so dragons, even dragon children, were a huge source of natural magical energy. But how he got the idea to go to Oz and kidnap Zelena's children was anyone's guess. Which only continued her belief that she was missing something about this woman. She glanced to her right, at the witch and noticed her fidgeting with her hands, playing with something, practically abuzz with nervous energy. It was similar to her daughters. She had tried to be friendly a couple times now but both girls couldn't even look her in the eye.

"Have we met before?" Regina asked, turning to the side so as to face the woman at her side, the puzzle she wanted to solve. It was starting to get on her nerves how little she knew about this woman.

"No." Zelena turned to face her as well, but she kept glancing down at her hands. Regina glanced down as well and found that she was wrapping a glowing string around her fingers over and over again.

"Are you sure? I seem to make you and your children nervous and since I don't know why, it's making me nervous. Care to explain?"

Zelena made the string in her hands disappear and took a deep breath, seemingly to steel her nerves. Her actions only made Regina more concerned. "Can I tell you a story and have you refrain from judgment until the end?"

"You want to tell me a story? That's why you're so nervous?"

"It's a combination of several things actually, but I'm sure you'll find it interesting."

Regina flicked an eyebrow. She had nowhere else to be at the moment. She conjured a chair and sat down. Zelena did the same. "Alright, let's hear it."

Zelena took another deep breath. "A year before you were born, your mother, Cora, entered a tavern and met a man who claimed to be a prince. They spent the night together but the man was just a con artist. He was actually a gardener. A child was born from that union but raising the child would disrupt her plans to marry Leopold. So, Cora took the newborn into the woods, wrapped them in a green blanket…and left them there." Regina instantly frowned. It almost didn't surprise her but it didn't change the anger she felt at a child being left to die just because they interfered with her mother chasing a throne. Zelena raised a hand at her before she kept going. "The child survived. They were picked up by a cyclone. Apparently, a magical one. And they were taken to Oz, where they were taken in by a woodcutter and his wife."

"You? You're trying to tell me that you're my sister?"

Zelena nodded. "Half sister…but yes. I know this may come as a shock and that you'll need time to process everything…"

"That's not the whole story though." Regina replied. She had too many questions to even formulate them properly.

"Are you sure you want to do this now?"

"I am. Continue. You wanted to tell your story, tell it all."

"I actually didn't. At least not yet, but if that is what you wish." Zelena sighed again and glanced around. They were still alone for the moment. "I grew up in poverty. My father, if the son of a bitch could be called such, was an abusive drunkard who barely made enough money to feed us. My mother worked as a seamstress until the day she died. When she passed, he began drinking even more and the abuse only grew worse and I had to support us. His only rule being that I couldn't use my magic. I still don't know why he was so afraid of it. Perhaps he blamed me for my mother's death in some way."

"Is he dead?" Regina asked.

"Of course he is, but I didn't kill him. He didn't really need any help with that. I just told him that I was done and I was leaving. He told me that I was adopted but he couldn't answer anything about my parentage, so I sought the Wizard of Oz. He was a fake. Then I sought Glinda the Good. She was a manipulative bitch. Tried to sell me on some prophecy nonsense and wanted me to join her witches council, but the catch was that I had to wear some magic necklace that would increase my power but without it I would lose all of my power. I went back to the wizard and after some threats of extreme violence, he made me an offer. He didn't have magic but he had magical artifacts and I used them to find out about my family and to travel to the Enchanted Forest."

"Let me guess, you found the Evil Queen."

"No." Zelena shook her head. "You were newly married to Leopold and only just beginning to learn magic from Rumple. I met the Dark One and tried to get him to train me to use his Dark Curse." Zelena paused and ran a hand down her face. Regina frowned again when she saw that her newfound sister was trembling. "I hated you. I was envious of you. I felt that you had been given everything I deserved. My magic was stronger, but Rumple chose you. Cora abandoned me but kept you. She made you a queen and I'd been destitute my whole life. You had everything."

"Not through any choice of mine." Regina retorted.

"I know, but bear with me. After I went back to Oz, I sought a way to destroy you. I spent years training and growing stronger, learning everything about magic. Eventually, I even conquered the West, but that was mostly an afterthought and completely unintentional. That's where the whole Wicked Witch of the West moniker came from. I needed a base of operations and I didn't care about anyone or anything. I planned to go back in time to erase your existence so I could have what you had."

"That's impossible. Going back in time is one of the laws of magic and it can't be broken."

Zelena smirked. "Technically, all laws can be broken, Regina. Besides, there are also different types of magic with their own rules and magic is literally making impossible things possible. I was undeterred and I believed I had perfected a way to go back in time. However, I was visited by another wizard by the name of Merlin." Regina's eyebrows rose at the name. Even she knew the name of Merlin, the legendary immortal wizard and one of the most powerful magic users of all time. Zelena grinned and nodded, seeing the shock on her face. "Indeed, that Merlin. He visited me, talked with me, told me what I was doing was wrong and dangerous. Naturally, I didn't listen. Then he showed me what would happen if I continued down the path I was on and…it was sickening."

"What-"

"I'm not going to tell you what he showed me." Zelena said firmly. "Believe me, you don't want to know."

"Why not? Do you succeed?"

"Yes and no and that is all I will say."

Regina crossed her arms and legs, relaxing back in her chair. "Continue."

"In exchange for giving him my time travel plans and abandoning the plot, he not only helped me with my magic, but he also showed me you. He showed me your childhood, the abuse, the manipulation, all of it. Everything changed after that."

"To what?" Regina asked, looking at the redhead with new eyes. She figured the witch was powerful but if she was really capable of breaking a law of magic, then she truly was dangerous. No one had ever accomplished such a feat. Then to have caught the eye of Merlin…

"I wanted to protect you." Zelena said, softly, refusing to look at her. She clearly was not a person who liked to reveal so much of herself. Something she could understand. "I wanted to destroy everyone who ever hurt you. Our mother, Rumpelstiltskin, King Leopold, Snow White. Every single one. But then… I fell in love and when I realized I was pregnant, I knew I had to make a lot of changes quickly. I had to create a safer environment for my girls and that meant changing the West and fighting off Glinda and her dumb council. I built the West into a true kingdom, separate from the rest of Oz, under my rule and protection. Life kinda got away from me. When I went back to the Enchanted Forest to see you, to finally meet you and all I found was the Evil Queen."

Regina sighed just at the mention of her former moniker. "She managed to scare off the Wicked Witch?"

"Scare? Don't be ridiculous." Zelena replied. "It wasn't the right time. The Evil Queen wouldn't have given a damn about me, if she even believed me at all and didn't immediately try to kill me. I went to see Rumple again to find out what happened. I even offered to cast the Dark Curse for him but then he told me the price and I knew I couldn't pay it. I didn't know how to help you and if I tried to stop you I knew you would hate me. Merlin had been visiting me for years but I didn't know of a way to contact him. He tends to disappear for a while and I assumed he would visit other worlds so I couldn't ask for his help. I even went to Camelot to find him but the king there claimed he was on a mission or something. Beyond Merlin and the Dark One, there was only one other person in your world that would be worth speaking to."

"Mal? Does she know?"

Zelena nodded. "She knows everything. I asked for her help and she just laughed and said that you wouldn't listen to anyone anymore. After that, I had to go home and when I returned, you had already cast the curse."

Regina instantly stood up and started to pace. Mal knew. She knew everything! She knew she had a sister and didn't tell her. And that stupid fucking dark curse! Fuck that stupid thing. Fuck Rumpelstiltskin for even giving her the idea. She was so stupid. A year she spent as Mal's student. A year she spent finally enjoying her life. A year of happiness she had to cut short because Rumple yet again reminded her of the price of the dark curse. She had to cut ties with Mal, with everyone she loved for fear of loving them too much. If only she'd listened…Everything would be different. But then she wouldn't have Daniel and Henry and Ruby.

"Hey," Zelena slid her chair closer as Regina sat back down. "No regrets, right?"

"Yes and no."

"I understand. No point in wishing the boys away for a life you might've had. What's done is done. You might've been happy then, but you seem happy now so I guess it was worth it?" She looked conflicted for a moment before patting Regina's leg in what was meant to be a comforting gesture. "Sorry, I don't know how to comfort others very well. Eliza is so much better at it than me."

"Do your daughters know who I am?"

Zelena smiled and nodded. "Eliza adores you. She thinks you're beautiful."

"Eliza is the one with green skin?"

"Yep."

"Was she born that way?"

"Yes, although I have no idea why. I stopped turning green a long time ago. Believe me, I tried to figure it out. She's probably the least envious person I've ever known. Persephone is the more aggressive and protective one. She loves your dresses you used to wear and started having one of her friends shoot at her so she could learn to catch arrows like you. I showed them my memories of you. What I'd seen anyway. They don't know much about you but they'd like to know you. Regardless of your feelings for me and even if you don't really want a relationship with them, I would appreciate it if you still remained kind to them."

"Of course." Regina frowned a bit at that. As if she would be cruel to some children who were interested in her. She had so much to think about now and she needed to speak to Mal and Ruby. She had a sister and her mother never told her. Perhaps she didn't think it necessary since she believed Zelena to be dead. She had a sister. An apparently powerful sister who ruled half a world. She had nieces who wanted to know her. She had family. Of course she probably still had family in the Enchanted Forest since her father had four more brothers but Cora had made sure to isolate them from the others and she was sure they wanted nothing to do with the Evil Queen.

A hand on her shoulder drew her out of her thoughts and she looked up at Ruby, whose eyes were alight with concern. "You okay?"

"Honestly, I don't even know." Something suddenly hit her. "Wait a minute. If you had your daughters before I cast the dark curse-"

"Nope, I said I found out I was pregnant. I never said I gave birth then." Zelena smirked. "Have you any idea how much time it takes to build a kingdom? Just so I won't be assassinated. You cause one hostile takeover and terrorize half the world and people just never let it go."

"Tell me about it." Regina said. "So you just stayed pregnant for years?"

"Only a few weeks pregnant." Zelena shrugged. "It wasn't that bad. Just a little aging spell to keep people from knowing I was pregnant until I had a good place set up."

"What are you two talking about?" Ruby asked.

She gestured to Zelena. "Ruby, meet my sister, Zelena. Zelena, this is my wife, Ruby."

"Sister? What?" Ruby looked between the two as if it were a prank. A part of Regina almost wished it was, but she believed Zelena. It would be ridiculous for her to lie and they could always confirm it with blood magic.

"Hi." Zelena waved with a big smile. "I'm the big sister left in the woods to die. Nice to meet you."

For a moment, Ruby's eyes flashed between bright gold and blue. "Are you fucking serious? I knew Cora was heartless but…"

"Regina is the daughter she wanted and look what she did to her." Zelena shrugged again, apparently no longer bothered by it.

"We should've killed that bitch." Ruby growled.

"You mean you haven't yet?"

"No, she was just in Storybrooke and she impersonated me and almost killed Regina. She was spouting that love is weakness bullshit."

Regina touched Ruby's arm and the werewolf took a deep breath to calm herself down. "I offered her a chance to be a family again." She said softly. "She chose her power. Like always."

"A poor choice." Zelena replied. She stood up. "I should let you two talk."

"Actually," Ruby cut in. "Maleficent wanted us to meet in the captain's quarters to figure out what we're going to do next."

Zelena narrowed her eyes at her. "What are you, if you don't mind my asking? Your eyes keep flickering from one color to another."

"I'm a werewolf. My eyes are blue but when the wolf has an opinion they change colors."

"The wolf? Are you the only one of your kind?"

"There's another werewolf in Storybrooke, but essentially, yes."

Zelena tilted her head. "That's sad. And odd. Werewolves are rarely solitary."

Regina and Ruby both perked up. "You know about werewolves?"

"I do. Why?"

Ruby was happy to tell her about her current problems, about being pushed out of her own body and the wolf constantly talking, whereas before it wouldn't say anything at all. Zelena sat back down almost instantly, looking at Ruby with rapt attention. She inquired about how Ruby's wolf acted in the Enchanted Forest and Ruby spoke about having the wolf take over during battles and how it used to be silent except for flashes of emotions and she even talked about the night she spent with her mother's pack, which was the only time she ever felt like she and her wolf were whole. Once she was finished, Zelena was quiet as she contemplated a response. After a minute, she faced Ruby again.

"Okay, I've given it some thought and I am still confused."

"About what?" Ruby asked.

"I understand why Regina is upset about the matter, she just wants you to be happy and healthy without fear of being taken over. However," She paused to look at Regina. "I do think you're only exacerbating the problem. If anything, the wolf probably thinks you're overstepping. I know you two are married but it was here first and it's not trying to hurt Ruby. If she dies, it dies." Regina opened her mouth to retort, but Zelena raised a hand for silence. "You also threatened to essentially kill it so whatever trust or affection it might've had for you, is probably gone. Which is another problem you're going to have to deal with." She turned back to Ruby. "Anyways, while I understand why Regina is upset, you…shouldn't be?" Zelena snapped her fingers and a chair appeared behind Ruby, who perched on the edge, still desperately looking for answers. "You're getting angry at your wolf for doing what it's always done. You let the wolf take over when you had to fight. You let it make important decisions and protect you. That's exactly what it's doing."

"I admit I didn't consider that," Ruby said. "But when I get angry about it, you would think the wolf would understand, no?"

"No." Zelena paused again to think. She lit up again when she figured out her next words. "I believe that magic changes as a person changes. For instance, Regina's magic is not the same as it was when she was the Evil Queen. She may not change the way she casts spells but the end result is different because she's not the same person she used to be. Neither are you. Since the Dark Curse, you've matured, become a mother, a wife, a business owner, built a home for your family. Your wolf hasn't. How would you feel thirty years ago if you suddenly woke up with children and a wife in a new world and you're not allowed to do anything? Twenty-eight years is a lot of time for someone to change and grow and your wolf wasn't given that option."

"But Ruby doesn't have magic." Regina said.

"She doesn't use magic like you and me but she's still a magical creature. Her magic is just in her blood." Zelena replied.

Regina looked at Ruby and gently rubbed her back. "Are you okay? Has the wolf said anything?" Ruby shook her head. "Maybe we can talk to Eugenia when we get home."

"Eugenia? Is she the other werewolf?" Zelena inquired.

"No, she's my grandmother. She can't shift anymore and she never wanted to be a werewolf anyway. The other is Ivana, a worker in my restaurant but honestly she's kinda in the same boat I am."

"Your grandmother never wanted to be a werewolf. Does that mean she was turned against her will?"

"I don't know. She doesn't talk about it."

"Your grandmother never wanted to be a werewolf and was tasked with raising her werewolf granddaughter? She did so by forcing you to wear a cloak that would hide who you are instead of telling you, teaching you. I'm sure she meant well, but you don't think that's had an effect on you?" Zelena frowned. Ruby started to speak but the witch quickly shook her head. "I won't get into something neither of us know much about. It seems like something you should discuss with your grandmother, but how about I speak to an alpha?"

Ruby's head snapped up. "You know a werewolf?"

"Yes. There are many in Oz now. The packs used to be quite small, but they've grown since I gave them territory in the West. Anyways, since we're going back to Storybrooke, I can contact a few alphas and see if they'd be willing to come talk to you. If not, you could go to them, I suppose. I'm sure they have the answers you seek."

"Yes!" Ruby said immediately. "Please." She grabbed Zelena in a bearhug and Regina couldn't help smiling at the shocked expression on the witch's face. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

"Oh, you're welcome." She stepped back when Ruby released her. "Another hugger." She said, feigning disgust. "So many of you out here."

"If you can get me in contact with the other alphas I will hug you again." Ruby promised. Zelena spun around and swiftly walked away. "Gods, I hope she can get someone to help me. Why? Because you're getting on my last fucking nerve." She glanced at Regina. "Sorry about that. I swear you didn't marry a crazy person."

Regina chuckled softly. "I disagree, but it's fine."

"Are you okay? I'm sure finding out you have a sister is a bit of a shock."

"Less than I thought it would be actually. I don't think I can be surprised by anything anymore." It was the truth. After everything she had been through, how could she be surprised by anything? Certainly not the cruelty of her heartless mother. If she was willing to abuse one child, kill her true love and marry her off to a man three times her age, why would it be surprising that she could abandon another child? They meant nothing to Cora and never would. However, Zelena did seem to want to know her. And she wanted to know her sister as well, and her nieces.

She felt drained again. Ruby started rubbing her shoulders, but she had to shrug off her fatigue for now. She stood up and made the chairs disappear before following Ruby to the captain's quarters. The other adults on the ship had gathered there. Mal was seated at Killian's desk with Ursula and Cruella on either side of her. Zelena and Lily were laying on the bed while the Charmings were on the other side of the room, as far away as they could get from the Queens of Darkness. Regina was surprised to see Tink also in the room with her wrists bound in glowing rope. Killian sat on the map table, lazily kicking his legs. She avoided looking at Mal as she took the nearest seat. Ruby stood behind her and continued rubbing her shoulders.

"Why are we still in Neverland?" Emma asked.

"Because," Mal answered. "I have plans to destroy it and I wanted Regina awake to witness it. Now, our main concern is what to do with the Lost Boys. We managed to rescue a few who are friends of Rufio and Flynn."

"You found Ben?" Regina asked, purposefully looking down at the desk instead of the dragon.

"Yes, we found Ben, Max and Curly. All three are still resting from Zelena's healing magic. They were in a dreadful state, apparently only being kept alive by Pan's focus on Henry. The rest of the Lost Boys and any other soldiers from the Home Office are being sequestered on the island-"

"What's to decide?" Snow demanded. There was a collective sigh of the Queens of Darkness as soon as she spoke. "We have to find them and bring them with us. They're just kids."

"Actually, they're killers." Regina said. "And I'm not bringing a bunch of murderers back to Storybrooke unless you're willing to take care of them, pay for them, and keep them out of trouble. Do you think you can do all that on a teacher's salary?" If what Flynn and Rufio said about them was true, she didn't really want them in her town. Storybrooke was meant to be safe and she would never be able to relax knowing her sons were in the same space as the former followers of Peter Pan. To survive, those boys had to become animals and all those lessons they learned would have to be unlearned if they wanted to live anywhere else. She feared retaliation as well, from the other Lost Boys and Flynn and Rufio. She doubted they would ever be able to mix well but that could just be her own unforgiving nature speaking.

"So you're willing to let them be killed?"

"Besides that," Mal cut in. "What are we going to do about the good Lost Boys we have? I know some of us may be willing to adopt but they'll want to stay together." Taking in five boys was asking a lot and Regina knew they didn't have the space for it. Not to mention these boys would need a lot of attention and guidance. Anything that required money she wasn't worried about, but they also needed schooling and support.

"I believe I may have a solution." Zelena sat up on the bed. "Earlier, I offered to contact some werewolves for Ruby to help her with her wolf problem and I think doing so can solve both problems."

"How so?" Mal asked.

"Werewolves often accept homeless or unwanted children. If I'm going to be talking to the alphas anyway, I can ask if they would be willing to take in some children who were removed from a terrible situation. I can give the boys a portal stone and a mirror and if they ever want to visit, they can do so."

"Can you ensure they're going to a good home?" Ruby asked.

"I can."

Regina pondered their dilemma while they deliberated. She didn't have the room at their house, but there were houses around that were empty. There was even a mansion just across the street that no one lived in. Mostly because Regina doubted anyone could afford to. She planned to let Mal use it because the dragon was not staying at the B&B and she would be damned before she stayed at her house. Maybe they could combine two unused houses? Or just expand hers? She hated to leave Flynn and the others alone because she was certain they would need direction and therapy. Speaking of which, she needed to talk to Archie and set up appointments for all the children. She voiced these thoughts aloud, mostly to Ruby. "What if we take them in for now, use magic to add another wing to the house and let them stay there, because they will need assistance readjusting to being back in the world and to being in a new world."

"What about the fairies in the convent?" Ruby suggested with a small glare at Tink. "We can build an orphanage and have them take care of the boys until it is decided if they'll be adopted by the werewolves."

"And if they aren't adopted?" Regina asked. "In the meantime?"

"We can ask people in Storybrooke if they wish to adopt as well. Can't you guys like track them with magic while at the orphanage?" Her wife shrugged. "Look, I don't want them in Storybrooke either but I don't want to see them killed. Maybe they do deserve another chance."

"Flynn and Rufio said those other boys killed their friends. Do you honestly think they could ever join the same family or pack after that? That'll only cause conflict."

"What if the other Lost Boys didn't have a choice?" Emma said.

"There's always a choice." It was Ursula that spoke up this time. "Ask your parents about choices and consequences." She glared the young blonde into submission and neither of the Charmings could look her in the eye. Regina still couldn't believe the two idiots even considered stealing a baby to be cursed, no matter who the mother was. Ruby's grip on her shoulder tightened just a little as she turned away from her former friends.

"Before we kill anyone," Mal gestured to Killian. "Captain, I have a proposition for you."

"If you're going to ask me to adopt a few kids…no."

"Actually, I was going to ask if you wanted a few deckhands. I imagine that you're coming to Storybrooke with us but I don't imagine you'll stay without good reason. If you want to continue pillaging and plundering and adventuring, you'll need a crew. You may find some willing to join you in Storybrooke, but you'll find more in other worlds."

Killian narrowed his eyes at the dragon. "What are you offering?"

"A way to travel the worlds at your leisure." Mal replied.

The pirate practically lit up. "Are you serious?"

"We don't go back on our deals, pirate." Ursula's glare dimmed the man some. There was history there but Regina wasn't sure what it was.

Killian cleared his throat. "Okay. I'll talk to the boys first, see which ones can be taught how to sail and which ones will follow directions."

"That will suffice." Ursula said. "In the meantime, I think the orphanage idea is the best one. If these other boys prove themselves to be a threat or a nuisance, I'll carry them to another world myself. For now, Regina, we will go with your plan. Snow White, you advocated for the other Lost Boys. You will solve any problems they cause, pay for any damages, etc. They are just children but they have been raised by a murderous son of a bitch. I will not leave it to chance they will hurt anyone else."

"And who are you to make that decision?" David asked.

"I am the only one amongst us who is a god." Ursula replied. "And the only way to get home. So say nothing, Baby Snatcher. I would've thought by now that you realized that you and your opinion means absolutely nothing. You are here out of courtesy and because I don't want you in the same room as my children and grandchildren without supervision." The sea witch suddenly teleported directly in front of David. "Never forget the choice you made years ago. Never forget that you sacrificed my daughter for yours and because of you I had to spend years trying to find her." David opened his mouth to speak and in the blink of an eye one of her tentacles had curled around his neck. "You are not a king anymore, Charming. You are not a prince. You are nothing! Exactly what you believed my daughter to be."

"Ursula, please." Snow pleaded. Ursula glanced at her and raised another tentacle threateningly.

"I remember that night every time I look at either one of you and I am almost overwhelmed by hatred. Every time. I want you to remember that night every time you look at me. I should kill you, but you can't suffer if you're dead. Although one day I might just…snap." David gagged and raked the tentacle as it tightened. "I want you to remember all of this the next time you decide to open your mouth and try and exert some false sense of authority. Always remember that." She released the struggling man who collapsed into a coughing fit. "If that is all, I'm going to cool off." She teleported away and Mal sent Cruella after her.

"What about Felix then?" Ruby asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence filled only by David's hacking.

"I do not trust that one." Mal leaned back in her chair, folding her legs. "Do what you will with him. Pan dies and Neverland will be destroyed, those are facts. The rest is up to you."

Regina rubbed her eyes and sighed. "I'll talk to the other Lost Boys and let them know their options. After that, you can destroy this place. Then we take Roland home."

"Do you know where he is from?"

"His cloak had a symbol on the clasp. A tree with a ring around it."

"Sherwood Forest."

"Yes and the only major city near there is Locksley. That's our best bet. If Roland's family is alive, we can go there and use blood magic to find them."

In the end, they reached their final decisions and made to leave. However, when Regina moved to leave, the door slammed shut in her face. She spun around to find Ruby gone and the room empty…except for Maleficent. The dragon was lazily examining her fingernails as if nothing was odd about this scenario. After a minute of silence, Mal looked up.

"What is this?" Regina asked.

"What has changed?" Mal stood up and walked around the desk. Her gaze picked Regina apart, concern and confusion alight in her bright blue eyes. "You won't look at me, Regina. Have I done something to upset you?"

"You never have."

Her words only seemed to make the dragon more confused. She didn't approach, although she clearly wanted to. "I don't understand."

"Zelena told me who she was." Regina said. "She told me about talking to you and asking for help. Why didn't you ever tell me about her?"

"What could I have said to make you listen? Is that why you're upset?"

"No, you're right. It's just…I should've chosen you."

"What are you talking about?" Mal came to usher her back to her chair and conjured another to sit in front of her.

"When you were teaching me, it was the only time I was happy since Daniel. And I chose that stupid curse over you. I could've been happy. My father would be alive-"

"But you wouldn't have the life you have now." Mal reminded her.

"I know, I just…a lifetime of pain because of my stupidity…"

"We all do stupid things, Regina, and sometimes we suffer for them."

Regina rolled her eyes. "Why do you have to be right all the time? It gets annoying."

The dragon chuckled as she stood up and pulled Regina to her feet as well. She could've melted when Mal wrapped her arms around her and started purring. She always felt safe with Mal and the warmth radiating from the dragon was enough to make her drift away.

"Don't you fall asleep." Mal said.

"I'm trying not to." Regina stepped back and quickly wiped her eyes.

"Let's go. The sooner we get this done, the sooner you can sleep for a few days."

"Can't wait."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ruby joined Regina, Zelena and Maleficent on the beach where the other Lost Boys were being kept and listened quietly while they explained to them that they could have a second chance at life if they were willing to make the change. Several of them were quick to take the deal, a few even breaking into tears. A good number didn't believe them at first, not until Mal laid out all the choices they could potentially make in the near future.

"At the end of the day, you cannot be the person you were on this island." The dragon said. "Whatever you've done, whatever you've had to do, we are willing to overlook but you will have to work to be better. No more fighting, no killing, whatever hierarchy you've made for yourselves is gone and any animosity between you needs to be squashed." She gestured back towards the Jolly Roger. "On that boat are a few of your number. All of whom had been hunted and tormented by you. You all will leave them alone and if I hear that you've targeted them or harassed them in any way, you will have to deal with me. Is that understood?" She paused while the boys murmured their understanding. "You will be moved to an orphanage in Storybrooke where food and clothing will be provided. The fairies that will tend to your needs are to be treated with respect. If I hear that you have been disrespectful, you will have to deal with me. And if you get on my nerves too much I will toss you into the sea-"

"Mal." Regina said softly.

The dragon rolled her eyes. "If you find that you want none of these options, Ursula will take you to the Enchanted Forest and leave you at an orphanage with a bag of gold. If you decide to take us up on our offer, head to the boat."

"Ship." Regina muttered. Mal narrowed her eyes at her but Regina barely noticed as she rubbed at her temples.

While the Lost Boys moved to the Jolly Roger, Mal shifted into dragon form and took off. Regina led them back to the ship where everyone else was beginning to gather. She conjured a shield to keep the two groups of children separate as Killian prepared to launch the ship. Zelena walked over to Peter Pan and crouched down to talk to him.

"You okay?" Ruby whispered, rubbing Regina's back.

"I'm fine. Just tired-"

An explosion of light suddenly surrounded them and Ruby instinctively wrapped her arms around Regina, holding her close as she searched for a threat. The only thing she could see was the shadow of Zelena standing over Pan and Pan's scream soon drowned out everything else, leaving her blinded and her ears ringing. It was over a moment later and Regina swiftly fixed their blindness.

"Zelena?" Regina called.

"Hmm?" The witch turned around. "Sorry about that but I wasn't gonna let this bastard die without my revenge."

Jaws dropped around the beach as everyone took in the sight of what used to be Peter Pan. The manboy was gone and in his place was a wrinkled old man.

"What the hell?" Regina whispered. All eyes turned from the sniveling old man in the sand to the witch now holding a glowing green orb. "Zelena…"

"What?" She asked.

"You took his magic." Regina whispered, staring at the orb in her palm.

"I did. He didn't deserve it." Her sister replied as she walked back to them, noticeably limping now. "And now he will die as the pathetic little man he was always meant to be."

Ruby felt herself being yanked out of her own body as the wolf took over again, shifting forms and snarling at the witch. "Stop! What are you doing?" She was overwhelmed by a rush of emotions. Fear, anger and betrayal being the most prevalent. The wolf started backing away, ignoring Regina's calls. "Hey, calm down. What's wrong?"

She's going to rip me away.

"What are you talking about?" Ruby growled impatiently. "No one was even thinking about you." The wolf barely heard her. It was panicking and Ruby felt herself start breathing erratically. Her chest started to ache and she tried desperately to regain control of herself. It only grew worse when Regina moved towards her. "Please, you're worrying the kids. No one is going to hurt you." The wolf glanced over at the children. It again backed away when Regina reached towards them. The panic rising in her stomach was too much. She was sure the wolf was going to run when it turned around, but Zelena appeared in front of them. She raised a hand, throwing up a magical shield around the two of them.

"Relax," The witch said. "You are safe, Wolf."

You can take away someone's magic. Regina threatened to rip me away from Ruby. She'll ask you-

"I won't." Zelena frowned. "I can't. Not with you. Pan wasn't born with magic, but you were. It's yours. I couldn't take it even if I wanted to and I wouldn't."

Don't let her…

Zelena shook her head. "That's not my decision. I don't know how connected you are to Ruby, but you two need to come to an agreement. I understand you are confused and upset because you missed twenty-eight years of your life, but constantly reacting to everything like this is only to cause more discord between you, Ruby and your family. They are your family, aren't they?"

Ruby felt the wolf's conflicting emotions flickering between indignation and distrust. Then she felt nothing. I don't know.

Ruby found herself back in control, laying in the dirt. She couldn't feel her wolf at all. Regina and Zelena tried to talk to her, but all she could say was that she was fine. She barely noticed them boarding the Jolly Roger and setting sail. It was only when Daniel and Henry shook her out of her stupor that she realized where she was.

"Are you okay?" Daniel asked.

Ruby nodded. "Sorry, I was just zoned out. I'm fine." She wasn't really. She felt…wrong. She knew the wolf was still there but she no longer felt its presence. Usually, it felt like a second skin, waiting to be unleashed, a defense she could always call on when she was in trouble.

"Ruby." Regina came into view, still looking at her in concern.

"I'm f-"

"No, you're not."

"Now's not the time."

"Then we'll discuss it later."

Ruby shrugged, turning away. She tried to call out to her wolf, but it wouldn't respond. It was uncomfortable. She almost missed the sight of Maleficent launching a meteoric boulder at Neverland, blasting a crater in the island and nearly splitting it in half. Pan, who had been tied up on the upper deck so he could watch, screamed at the top of his lungs, but Regina put a stop to it so as not to disturb the children. Although the evil grins from some of them revealed that they didn't care. Mal teleported to the ship and Ursula stepped forward, conjuring her trident. It glowed bright white in her hands as she made a sweeping motion before swinging it like a baseball bat. The Jolly Roger shuddered as the water began rushing to their right. Ursula used magic to push the ship out of the current and there was nothing but stunned awe from everyone on the Jolly Roger at the rising mountain of water.

"Sinking Neverland?" Maleficent murmured. "Sexy." Ursula rolled her eyes at her and snapped her fingers.

Watching the water move was almost surreal. It barrelled forward, slamming into Neverland and swallowing the island until there was nothing left to show that it had ever existed.

"Fucking beautiful." Maleficent then turned to Ursula again. "Shall we?"

"Oh yeah." The dragon went to grab a weeping Malcolm and a seething Felix and teleported away. Meanwhile, Ursula opened a whirlpool in the sea just beneath the ship. "Hang on to something!"

Ruby almost laughed when Daniel and Henry instantly grabbed onto her. She ushered them over to the mast and helped tie them into place. Neverland was destroyed. Her sons were safe and she was sure Mal was going to kill Pan. Now they were going back home.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was strange to be back in the Enchanted Forest again. Strange and uncomfortable. Regina kept a hand around Roland as they rode through the city of Locksley, following the faint trail of purple magic that would lead them to the boy's family.

In order to keep a low profile she was wearing a dark red dress with a hood to hide as much of her appearance as possible. The Evil Queen had never been to Locksley before and it had been years but she didn't want to run into anyone who might recognize her. That was the last thing she needed. The sooner she could get Roland home the sooner she could get back to her family in Storybrooke.

"What was your father's name again, Roland?" She asked, fighting off a scowl. Locksley was more of a medieval looking city with lots of stone buildings and a paved road that was currently congested with citizens moving from place to place. The sounds were deafening and the stench was irritating.

"Robin Hood."

"The thief?"

"Yep."

Regina glanced around at the mix of people around her and teleported them and their horse to the end of the street where it was a bit quieter. The trail grew brighter and she spurred her horse forward. The trail soon spun to the right and she stopped the horse. "Robin Hood owns a tavern?"

"He retired." Roland said as she swung herself out of the saddle. She helped the boy down and he pulled her into the small establishment. It was plain as taverns go. A bit dark and drab. There were five men inside, all leaning over a map on a table. One was drinking from a ridiculously huge tankard that was fitting because he was a ridiculously huge man. "Uncle John! Daddy!" Roland yelled, running forward. The one with the tankard spit out his drink and one of the other men vaulted over the table to hug Roland.

Regina stayed near the door as the men crowded father and son, welcoming Roland back. "My boy, what happened to you?"

"I got taken by a mean man but Gina and her friends saved me."

"Gina?" Robin looked up at Regina. She stepped forward and pulled back her hood. It did boost her ego a little bit when several of the men's jaws dropped, including Robin Hood's himself. "Thank you." He said. "Thank you so much for bringing my son back to me."

"You are more than welcome. Roland is a wonderful little boy." She smiled at the beaming child, who wiggled for Roland to let him down so he could give Regina one more hug.

"Surely there is something I can do to repay you for this." Robin said, glancing at the large man. "You've brought my world back to me."

"Aye," The large man added. She assumed he was Uncle John. "We were just planning to break into the castle. Searched the whole city for the boy. Whatever you wish, we will do our best to give it to you."

Regina shook her head. "I appreciate the thought, I don't need anything-"

"Please." Robin reached for her hands, taking them in his. He was a rather handsome man and the smile he flashed at any other time would've had her melting. However, this meeting had run on long enough and she was anxious to get back to her family. She glanced around the room.

"Are you the Merry Men?" She asked, looking at John.

"Aye. What's left anyway."

"Are you looking for new recruits?"

Robin took a step back, a smirk tugging at his lips. "You…"

She laughed at the look on his face. "Not for me. Why don't we sit for a moment and have a chat." She sat down with the Merry Men, declining a few drinks, and explained to them exactly what had happened to Roland and the situation with the Lost Boys after Pan's defeat and Neverland's destruction. They had the werewolves in Oz, anyone in Storybrooke and Killian lined up to potentially adopt some of the Lost Boys. Hopefully, she could get the Merry Men on board as well. "These kids have been through hell being in Neverland. Roland wasn't there that long and he had people helping him so he should be fine after a while. The others were there for years. We're certain they don't have any family to return to. But they are good archers and somewhat good fighters. Not properly trained but they can hold their own and are probably willing to be thieves."

Robin looked to John. "It's up to you. I'm retired."

John scratched at his beard. "How many boys are there? How old are they?"

"There are thirty or forty. The youngest we believe to be nine. The eldest is eighteen. You need not make a decision now. You can come to Storybrooke and meet them yourselves. I guess we'll be having an adoption fair within the next week or so."

"How are we supposed to get to Storybrooke?"

Regina gestured to Roland, who pulled the hand mirror and purple stone out of his jacket. "I gave Roland the mirror for if he ever wanted to talk to me and the stone is a portal stone. Take it, crush it with your foot and it'll take you to Storybrooke. It's one way, but I can give you another when you get to town. The radius is about half the size of this room so be careful when you use it." As she finished her proposition, the men looked to John, just as Robin had.

"Alright." John said. "We'll go to Storybrooke and meet the former Lost Boys. It's the least we can do for you bringing Roland back to us."

"Thank you." Regina smiled. "That's all I ask. Even if you don't recruit any of the Lost Boys, you are more than welcome to stay in Storybrooke as long as you like as my guests." She stood up and offered her hand. John stood up to shake it. She couldn't help marveling at the way his hand practically swallowed her own. She gave Roland one more hug before she said her goodbyes.

Now that that was done, time for a nap.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Regina slept for two whole days. That left Ruby to deal with their new guests and the Lost Boys. Luckily, Mal was there to assist. She used her magic to get the orphanage up and running and added another wing to the mayoral mansion. Their first day home was hectic and overwhelming just trying to make sure everyone was taken care of. Mal and the other Queens of Darkness moved into the mansion across the street while Zelena took up residence in a farmhouse across town. Ruby figured she was more comfortable there and let her be, although the witch ended up staying at the mansion more often than not. The second day she gave their new arrivals a tour of Storybrooke along with Daniel. She had to deal with the fairies afterwards and check on the Lost Boys. That afternoon she fell into bed and cuddled up with Regina for a nap of her own. She wasn't sure how long she slept, but it was night when she felt someone shaking her awake.

Ruby opened her eyes to see Daniel standing beside the bed. She couldn't resist smiling at her son and pulled him onto the bed for a hug. "What time is it?"

"Nine o'clock." Daniel giggled, trying unsuccessfully to get free.

"What are you doing up?"

"Mom got up an hour ago." He said. "She was really hungry so she started making tacos."

"What?"

"I know. She wanted me to wake you up so you could come eat. Everyone else is here too. Except Henry." She pulled him close when she saw his smile droop.

"He'll come around, you know."

Daniel shrugged. "No, he won't."

"He won't if we give up on him. He's just a kid. He'll grow out of it."

"Do you think I'm wrong for wanting to be Maleficent's student?"

"Of course not. Maleficent was right when she said that you have to at least learn to control your magic and she was right when she said that there's no pretending that you don't have it. Can't go back to being normal. Learn all you can from her. If you want to become the most powerful sorcerer in existence then fine. As much as the wolf gets on my nerves, it was right too. It's your power, use it however you see fit. You know your mom and I will support you every step of the way." She felt torn seeing the tiny tears in the corners of his eyes and gently wiped them away. "What is it?"

"Sometimes, I get so happy and excited. I get to learn from Maleficent. Lily and Zelena said they'd help me too. It's a crazy opportunity that I know I wouldn't have without Mom. Then I remember, how upset it makes Henry-"

A fog closed over Ruby's mind and everything became a little distorted before her vision cleared and she refocused on Daniel. He was looking at her with wide eyes, but he didn't pull away. Ruby knew what had happened and she was powerless to do anything about it. The wolf had become quite good at pushing her out but she didn't know how to retake her body back.

"Henry shouldn't stop you from living your life." The wolf growled. "No one should. He is your brother and you'll always be brothers so don't feel bad about taking this opportunity for yourself. It may strain your relationship but one day you might regain it again. In the meantime, learn, grow, become strong. It's your life, Daniel."

Ruby found her back in the driver's seat once again. The switch was almost seamless now and she hated it. "Sorry about that."

Daniel frowned slightly, staring at her. She waited because she could see him thinking about something. "You said you didn't have your wolf for the whole curse, right?"

"Right."

"Do you share memories?"

"I don't know if the wolf has all my memories but I don't always remember what's happened when the wolf takes over. Why?"

"I don't know-"

"What?!" Ruby exclaimed, feeling proud of herself for the smile that Daniel sprouted. "What do you mean? You have any ideas then I am all ears. I need all the help I can get."

"I was just thinking that your wolf might not even really know who we are if it doesn't share your memories. Maybe that's why it's so upset. Can you talk to it?"

"It talks when it wants to."

He smirked. "Maybe you should just have a conversation with it."

Ruby shrugged. "I'll consider it. After tacos."

They both rolled out of bed and headed downstairs. She was surprised to find the house empty. Daniel only grabbed her hand and pulled her into the kitchen where there was a glowing hole in the wall. They passed through it and she found herself at the Tavern. The Queens of Darkness were all present, as well as Zelena, Lily, Granny, the kids and the Lost Boys that had been staying with them. Regina was seated at the table next to Mal. She was about to bite into a taco when she caught sight of Ruby and Daniel and smiled. By the gods was that woman beautiful. Regina got up to greet her. Daniel gave her a quick hug before taking a seat next to Mal.

"Grandpa, stop eating all the steak!"

Flynn instantly looked up with murder in his eyes. Hector and Daniel only laughed at his indignant expression.

Ruby looked at Regina and put an arm around her waist. "The Evil Queen in yoga pants?" She said.

"They're comfortable and besides, I wanted to be comfortable while planning the next few days because Storybrooke is hosting a feast. Come on, let me show you."

"Wait, let me make a taco. By the way, did you cook everything in the kitchen?"

"Just about."

Ruby fixed a couple of different tacos with all the fixings and sat down next to Regina to look at the list she'd made. Storybrooke was indeed having a feast and it looked like a big one. "What's this for again?" She asked, eyes widening at all the food that was listed. She had even included food from the Enchanted Forest and Oz.

"There are a lot of people coming to Storybrooke this week." Regina replied. "It would be rude not to properly welcome them- Ruby, how dare you let me sleep for two days when I am the only thing standing between this town and complete destruction?"

Ruby smirked as she bit into a chicken taco. Regina continued talking as she devoured at least three more tacos, but it was more to herself than Ruby. Ruby glanced around the table at the boisterous people and listened to the raucous laughter. It was odd to sit at such a full table. For so long it was just her, Regina, Daniel, and Henry. And Granny whenever she decided to accept an invitation to dinner and finally take a break from working at the diner. Now, her grandmother was laughing at Daniel and Hector continuing the attempts to annoy Flynn. Octavia was watching them, looking just as annoyed yet amused by their antics. Persephone was talking to Cruella while her sister whispered something to Zelena. Ruby could hear what they were saying if she focused on them, but she chose not to.

She glanced over at the three new Lost Boys, Ben, Curly and Max. All three were surprisingly quiet for teenage boys. Even now Rufio was trying to coax something out of them. Curly was the eldest, a six foot tall behemoth with blonde curls to rival Roland's. He acted as a sort of big brother to the others. Or at least, he used to according to Rufio. Now he barely spoke and while his body may have been healed, Ruby could see that he still had many scars from his imprisonment. Ben was of smaller stature and was quite pale with dark hair and far too many scars. He seemed naturally quiet and whenever he spoke, he could barely be heard. Max was the most talkative besides Rufio, although he only talked when you talked to him first. He was the smallest and youngest of the trio and the most curious by far. The first time Ruby ever saw him smile was when Maleficent took them on a shopping spree yesterday. Nothing he bought matched in any way but she was happy to see him excited about something. They estimated that he was around fourteen or fifteen. He had a wiry form that came from climbing and a mane of black hair that Mal helped him tame. Rufio was the most adjusted. He did have a nightmare the night before, but it didn't take him long to recover from it. Daniel and Hector kept Flynn too busy to think about Neverland. The two of them enjoyed annoying him to no end and while he too was extremely curious about this new world, he had his heart set on becoming a werewolf despite Ruby's warnings.

All of the children had appointments with Archie sometime this week. It was difficult fitting in all of the kids, but after explaining the situation to Archie, he was more than willing to accommodate them. She wanted them to get in at least one session before they were adopted just in case they needed it and in case their new parents wanted some guidance on how to help them. She didn't know if that would do anything, but it wouldn't hurt.

After the tacos, Regina and Granny brought out two apple pies, some apple turnovers, a chocolate cake and some ice cream. All of which was devoured by the ravenous children and their guests.

Now comfortably full but wide awake, Ruby tuned back in to the conversation. Regina was absently fixing Daniel's hair while Maleficent explained her plans to train him.

"Starting tomorrow, your training begins." The dragon said. "I've already come up with some basic strategies for you. To train your body, you will be joining Miss Lucas on her morning runs."

Daniel's jaw dropped. "But Mom runs all the trails."

"And you will be joining her." Mal grinned.

"You don't think that's too much?" Ruby asked.

The dragon only shrugged. "He can run as long as he can stand it and when he gets too tired, he can stop. I mostly want to judge his stamina. Good stamina and conditioning is essential for half your training. Lilith will train you in hand to hand combat and I will handle weapons training." Daniel glanced uncertainly at Lily, who only winked at him.

Lily was a mystery that Ruby hadn't gotten the chance to figure out yet. Unlike her parents, she was more reserved and barely had to speak at all to communicate with her two children. She was very much an aggressive fighter back in Neverland though, so maybe she just hadn't gotten comfortable around them yet.

"I saw you fight in Neverland and I was impressed, but that was using the energy I gave you. I believe you've recovered and I want to see what your magical limits are. So Regina, is there a safe space we can use for practice?"

"The cave under the library is free." Regina answered without looking up.

Ruby found herself watching her wife. She had been so animated when she described her plans to transform the town hall into a banquet hall for the feast but now she was completely relaxed. However she was also wide awake despite consuming six tacos.

"Let's see if you can outdo your mother." Mal said with a smirk at Regina, who of course took the bait.

"Mal…" she growled in warning.

"What? You can stand to take a few lessons too, you know."

"Excuse me? I'm one of the most powerful magic practitioners in the world." Regina exclaimed. "Just because I didn't complete your little class doesn't mean I've slacked off, my dearest Maleficent. You have no idea what I'm capable of."

Ruby almost thought they were going to start making out or something until a sarcastic chuckle from Zelena drew the attention of both women.

"You have something to say, Sis?" Regina asked.

Zelena looked up. "Oh, uh yes. The truth is you have no idea what you're capable of."

Regina's right eyebrow slowly rose and conversation around the room ended. Ruby glanced to the side as Daniel slightly ducked down.

Zelena glanced around the room. "Is this a thing? You don't like to be corrected? That's a bit ridiculous."

"What are you talking about?" Regina asked.

"I know who your teacher was, dearie." The witch replied. "Rumple didn't teach you to the best of your abilities. He didn't need to and he didn't want to. He needed you to cast his curse. Nothing more. It was never to help you, it was to use you."

"And how do you know that?"

"I trained with Rumple, remember? I know his games."

Regina glanced at Daniel. "Why don't you take the other kids down to the arcade room and show them some games?" Daniel quickly hopped up to do so. Once the children were gone, Regina turned back to her sister. The two had a staring contest for a minute and Ruby waited to see what would happen. Zelena was the first to speak.

"I only trained with Rumple for a couple of weeks and the only thing he ever really taught me was how to hate you. He wanted me angry and hateful, focused on his goals. That's what he did to you. Being raised by Cora, what happened to Daniel, marrying Leopold, hating Snow White… You were angry, depressed, discouraged. That ugly place you used to be in, he needed to keep you there." She gestured to Maleficent. "That's why he didn't want you training with the dragon. He didn't want you to heal. He didn't want you to grow or learn to be happy again. That would mean all those years he spent ruining your life would've been a waste. So no, Regina, you don't know what you're capable of. Unless you went out of your way to learn and teach yourself, which I doubt. There's no telling what you can do and I look forward to seeing you find out."

Ruby looked at Regina and she could tell her wife was absolutely stunned by her sister's words. The Queens of Darkness also looked impressed by her straightforward approach. For a moment, Regina was unable to say anything. Then she dipped her head and uttered a quiet "Thank you."

Zelena smiled in return. "I only spoke the truth, Little Sister. Our pasts are haunting and our childhoods were awful, but there is so much of life left to live and I for one, am tired of letting everything that's happened to me drag me down. We have to spend our time making the lives of our children better than ours ever were."

Regina nodded. "Agreed."

"Excellent, but I have a favor to ask." Regina made a motion for her to continue. "Eliza would like to give you a gift. I'm not sure what it is, but if you could please-"

"You don't need to ask me to be kind to your daughters, Zelena."

"I know, but they expect much of you and I-"

"Don't?" Regina frowned. "Of course I will accept her gift. I understand that I don't really know them and all they know about me are stories, but I promise you, I will be the best aunt they could ever have. If you're still worried then tell me about them."

"Will you tell me about Henry and Daniel?"

"Of course. Ruby will have to shut me up."

For the next two hours Ruby had the privilege of listening to the women gush about their little ones. The Queens and Lily eventually joined in to share stories of their dragonlings and what they had been up to since the Dark Curse. They talked more about the adoptions and the children's training regime and the banquet Regina wanted to host. There was a lot to be done, but Ruby couldn't help grinning at how excited Regina was to do it.

"Let's go fix the town hall right now." Regina said, getting to her feet.

"It's the middle of the night." Ruby replied, getting up to follow her.

"I know, but I've been asleep for two days, Wife. I have no intention of going back anytime soon. There is work to be done and it's a beautiful night, so let's walk."

They used magic to clean the restaurant while Ruby retrieved the children. Eliza ran to Zelena and whispered in her ear. Zelena nodded and turned to Regina.

"Before we go, Eliza wants to give you her gift."

Regina smiled and crouched down in front of the little girl and everyone else crowded to see what was inside the brown case that she conjured. When she opened it, Ruby caught the scent of something sweet. Eliza put the case on the ground and pulled out a crown made of flowers but they weren't any flowers Ruby had ever seen before. They were all manner and mixture of colors, each one carefully threaded together by their stems. Eliza whispered a word of magic and a gold light flashed from her fingertips and in an instant, the crown had turned to solid gold. She held it up to Regina and Ruby found that when the light hit it just right you could still glimpse the vibrant colors underneath. The gold was almost iridescent.

Regina's jaw dropped when presented with the crown. "It's beautiful, Eliza. I love it." Eliza's cheeks turned a darker shade of green and she fought not to smile when Regina lowered her head to be crowned.

"She's never going to take it off now." Daniel whispered to Persephone.

Regina conjured a mirror so she could look at herself. When she decided that it was fitted perfectly, she pulled her niece in for a hug. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." When they parted, Eliza looked to Ruby. "I didn't know Regina was married or I would've made one for you too. When we go back to Oz, I can make you a red one."

"Thank you." Ruby smiled. "But it doesn't have to be red. Make whatever you feel like." She almost flinched when the girl hugged her too.

"She's such a hugger." Zelena said. "I don't know where she gets it from."

"Me neither." Persephone agreed.

Ruby couldn't help smiling at their interest in their aunt. The whole walk to the town hall they bombarded Regina with questions. When they felt they were leaving Ruby out, they turned their attention to her. She didn't think of herself as interesting as Regina, but they didn't seem to mind.

"What are you going to do at the town hall?" Daniel asked once they made it past the town square.

"Change it into a banquet hall for our future guests." Regina answered.

Ruby stopped walking to check and make sure all of the children were in sight. When she started again, she found herself walking next to Zelena. "When will you return to Oz?" She asked.

"Tomorrow, but I should be back by the evening. I'm certain the werewolves will agree to our offers. Especially yours."

"Why especially mine?"

Zelena shrugged. "Your problem will require more thought. Giving children a home, a family, that's an easy problem to fix. Werewolves love huge families. I spent some time with them several years ago and they truly adore their pups. Once, I was able to go on a field trip with them."

"Field trip?"

Zelena nodded, smiling fondly at the memory. "A few elders and a few younger members of the pack would take pups on little trips to see their territory and teach them about the forest. The pups are able to see and learn about the world around them, the elders are able to pass on their knowledge and the younger members begin to learn how to teach children."

"My mother once told me that children are the future of the pack and they're practically treated like royalty."

"They are. Spoiled little things." Zelena chuckled. "A question, if you don't mind my asking." The witch stopped walking and waved her hand. Ruby glanced around at the small dome of green magic that appeared around them. "Why didn't your mother raise you?"

Ruby glanced towards her grandmother. Everyone had kept walking, leaving her and Zelena alone in the street. She noticed Granny turn her head slightly and glance back at them but she didn't do anything more than that. "Granny told me my mother gave me to her, saying she wasn't ready to be a mother. My mother, Anita, told me that Granny took me because she didn't want her granddaughter to be raised as a wolf. I was never sure of who to believe, but Granny was all I had, so I was inclined to believe her. However, she also told me my mother died when she didn't."

Zelena instantly rolled her eyes. "That's ridiculous and I'm sorry that whatever squabble they were having hurt you the way it did."

"Thank you, Zelena, but I'm fine-"

"No, you are not, Mrs. Lucas. Most of, if not all, of your problems with your wolf stem from the fact that you were raised as a human. You are a werewolf. You know nothing about being one because your grandmother neglected to teach you. She gave you a cloak to hide part of who you are instead of telling you the truth. Even now, you may not hate being a werewolf but it's becoming an inconvenience, isn't it?"

"Yes." She had to agree. After twenty-eight years of peace, of being normal and having a normal life, she was once again at war with herself. She didn't blame Granny for her problems though. How could she? Granny had raised her, she was all she had. Granny was good with the boys too. She didn't want to think her grandmother had intentionally hurt her. Her wolf growled in her ear, seemingly agreeing with Zelena.

"You're not normal, Ruby. You'll never be normal. And that is perfect. I'm not normal. Not like the rest of the world." Zelena gestured to the quiet town around them. "The biggest lie they will ever tell you is that you want to be like them and believe me, I wasted a good part of my life wishing that I was."

"It would make life easier." Ruby replied.

Zelena shook her head as she removed the shield around them. "But then, you wouldn't be you. And only you could've done any of this."

"Any of what?"

"Fought in wars, married Regina, raised two beautiful children with her, rescued them from Pan. Seriously, Ruby, you're fucking amazing and the fact that you don't know that is starting to irritate me."

Ruby smirked as they resumed walking. "I would've never expected the Wicked Witch of the West to be so full of wisdom."

"Did Regina tell you about my original plans?"

"Something about breaking a law of magic." Ruby said.

Zelena nodded. "I planned to erase her existence and in the future that Merlin saw, I didn't truly succeed with that plan but I did succeed in other attempts to ruin my sister's life. I don't ever want to be the person I could've been, so I'm trying my best to be helpful. A few kind words and observations seem to be doing the trick. Also," Zelena's voice grew softer, barely above a whisper. "I want Regina to like me."

"You do realize that you can't make up for a future that never existed." Ruby said.

"I know that. I also know that Regina doesn't need a sister. That doesn't mean I don't want to be one."

The pair chose to walk in silence after that. The others had already reached the town hall by the time they got there and had already made changes to it. Before, the town hall was just a regular building, plain and ordinary and barely used for anything more than the occasional community gathering. Now, it looked like a viking longhouse. Ruby led the way inside and spotted Regina rubbing her temples.

"What is it with you and vikings? No one here has any relation to vikings." She said, glaring at Hector.

"They're cool." He replied, as it was obvious.

"A medieval theme would be better." Octavia cut in. "That would fit the Enchanted Forest more."

"Ah, but we are not in the Enchanted Forest." Her brother retorted. "She can make it the best of both worlds. But vikings are-"

"No." Lily said firmly. Hector pouted, but said nothing more on the subject.

Regina waved a hand, transforming the longhouse into a large banquet hall that was more similar to the one Ruby remembered being in Snow's castle, or she guessed Regina's former castle. The first thing Snow had done when they reclaimed her family castle was brighten the place up and she went out of her way to completely remove any remnants of Regina. Regina conjured the very same banquet hall that Ruby had helped Snow redecorate and she also changed the color scheme to a red and black one. She even added a display of viking weapons for Hector, who grinned at the sight of it. Her attempt to appease him only had everyone else wanting to add their own little touch to the building.

"No, Mal." Regina said. Ruby turned to see that Maleficent had conjured a huge tapestry of a black dragon. Judging by the horns, it was a tapestry of herself.

"Why not?" The dragon asked innocently.

"Because I want it to be warm and inviting. A giant evil dragon does not convey that tone."

"And flying the Targaryen colors does?"

"What?" Regina looked around the room again. "No, it's red for Ruby and black for me." She suddenly laughed and pointed at Maleficent. "The idea of you watching tv is hilarious, by the way."

"I've seen all the tv shows and movies that feature my kind and I am deeply annoyed by the portrayals. I would pay to see a movie where the dragon kills all the knights and destroys the world."

Ruby grinned. "Maleficent, you're probably the richest woman in the world. You can do that." She almost laughed at the way the dragon practically lit up, as if the thought had never occurred to her. Regina did laugh at that.

"The Dragon Queen running a production company? Hilarious."

"She's right, Regina, you need some color." Zelena said.

"Let me guess, green?"

"Of course."

Regina rolled her eyes. "What do you think, Ruby?"

Ruby glanced around. Even with the new reds, the place still looked like the dining hall of an evil queen. Zelena was right, it could use more color. While Regina wanted to use colors to commemorate them and she was happy about that, Storybrooke didn't just belong to Regina anymore and it wasn't just about them anymore. Not only were they hosting new friends and family, but now they were inviting people from other worlds here. "Honestly? I think we should redecorate the whole town." Regina's eyebrows rose at her suggestion. "I mean, you wanted to use colors to represent us, but this is still the Evil Queen's banquet hall. And yeah, you look good in black, but you're not who you used to be. To represent us, you'd have to redo a lot of stuff. And I know my name means red, but I like other colors too. To represent us, you'd need more colors." She walked over to Mal's tapestry and Regina followed, watching her with interest. "Maybe, instead of the tapestries, we put up mosaics on the wall. We can have dragons and horses, witches, wolves. Maybe a silver stallion?" Regina's eyebrows shot upwards again. The silver stallion was the sigil of Prince Henry's kingdom, a symbol Snow had shown her when they were plotting to overthrow the Evil Queen. "Maybe have Rocinante up on the wall?"

"I like the idea, but you want to redo the whole town?" Regina said.

Ruby shrugged. "It's completely up to you. I just think that this could be a new chapter for us and why not take the town with us. You built Storybrooke as the Evil Queen to torment your enemies. Some of the people here aren't your enemies anymore, or they never were. Your curse literally covered half the Enchanted Forest."

"Collateral damage." Regina shrugged.

Ruby smirked. "Yes, but you have a family now and friends, and you're not the Evil Queen anymore. The Curse is broken. Storybrooke was made to fit into this world, but it's not like the rest of the world."

"You want to mix aspects of both worlds?"

Ruby nodded, gesturing to Daniel. "He would love it. We definitely need more stuff in town for the children anyway and as Storybrooke's new Queen Mayor," She pointed up at Regina's new crown. "You can make the changes we need."

"Okay," Regina said. "I have a condition."

"Condition? You're going to do it anyway, Regina." They both knew it was true.

"I know. but when Eliza gets back with your crown, you take your place at my side."

"I am at your side." Regina shook her head and stepped forward, sliding her arms around Ruby's waist and pulled her close. Ruby almost purred under the former queen's heated gaze but it gave way to momentary panic when she remembered where they were. "Children, Regina. Don't forget there are children here." She whispered. Regina barely registered her concern. They both sent a quick glance towards the children, but they were preoccupied by the young dragons showing off their dragon forms. So Regina took the chance to peck her lips and fix her with a sincere, yet stern look.

"You are my wife, Ruby. My wife, my love, my partner, my alpha. Now that we're married, that makes you my queen and if I am to continue ruling this town, I want you to really do it with me. Nothing is completely up to me." Ruby instantly shook her head, but Regina took her chin and gently pulled it down, forcing her to look her in the eye.

"But my wolf, Regina…"

"Is something that we'll deal with after the other alphas get here. In the meantime, we have a lot to do and I don't want to do it without you."

"I don't want you to do it without me either." Ruby said, smiling when Regina beamed at her. She shielded her eyes. "Ugh, too bright."

Regina laughed. "Start coming up with ways to change up the town and I'll redo this," She gestured around her to the banquet hall before strutting off, calling for Maleficent.

"You guys okay?" Ruby turned around and smiled at Daniel.

"Of course. We were just discussing making some changes to all of Storybrooke. If we're going to be entertaining leaders from another world and throwing a massive banquet, the town could use a little upkeep."

"True." He said.

"And I want you to help me figure out how to improve Storybrooke. I know we built you and Henry an arcade at the Den, but how about a full size one? Maybe a pool? Trampoline park-"

"A laser tag arena?" Daniel gasped.

Ruby shrugged. "We can talk to your Mom about it. She said she wanted ideas. Why don't you and the other kids come up with something?" He instantly turned around and raced over to the other children to spread the news.

Now that she considered it, there were a number of buildings in Storybrooke that could use some magical intervention. Granny's could be revamped, the B&B needed to be expanded and updated for their guests, the park definitely needed a better playground, maybe some more trees and flowers planted around town. Since the Merry Men were visiting and the Lost Boys were archers, they could set up an archery range. And they could add some things in the forest like dens and tunnels to spice things up.

"What's going on, Pup?" Granny came to her side.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "I know you could hear everything I said to Regina. Why ask?"

"Who says I listened in?" Granny scoffed.

"You usually do." She muttered. "As you know, Regina is inviting people to Storybrooke to see if they would be willing to adopt the Lost Boys and we need to make some changes to the town."

"Including the diner?" Granny instantly frowned.

"I thought we could make improvements to it, but I doubt you'll agree to that. The B&B definitely needs some changes." Especially if they were talking about the alphas of werewolves. She didn't know how many would come or if they would alone. Considering the fact that Storybrooke never got visitors, the B&B might be too small anyway. "Hey, Zelena!" She called. The witch appeared in front of her instantly. "Would the alphas come alone or would they bring people with them?"

"I know they would bring guardians with them, maybe more. Why?"

"We might need a bigger place than the B&B. Can you help me design something that would accommodate them?"

Zelena nodded. "Of course. You didn't have to ask, Silly Wolf." She teleported back to Regina's side just in time for a cloud purple smoke to explode out of Regina's hands. It swallowed the entire hall in a matter of moments. Ruby felt her wolf stir uncomfortably at the tingling sensation it left along her exposed skin, but it didn't say anything. When the smoke cleared, the old dining hall was gone. Now the building was almost a palace, except brighter and more open. There was much more color this time. Ruby smiled seeing one wall covered in colorful mosaics in swirling patterns. Another depicted Maleficent and the other Queens of Darkness and even the children. The ceiling was glass and there were huge golden chandeliers hanging from them. Regina waved her hand, summoning torches along the walls and a firepit in the middle of the room encased in a glass dome. Mal waved her hands this time, conjuring trophies on the walls and statues while Zelena and her daughters conjured flowers and other plants to beautify the place a bit more.

Regina teleported to Ruby's side. "What do you think?"

"It's amazing." Ruby said. "Much better."

"I agree." Regina took her hand and pulled her outside. She snapped her finger and transformed the exterior as well. Not only that, but she added a fountain with two horses, one silver and one red, with a paved stone walkway wrapping around it and leading up to the door.

"I love it. What's next?"

/

Regina would end up pushing back the banquet for two months so everything could be set for their visitors and every day he found that something in Storybrooke had been upgraded or altered. That left the children to do as they pleased for about a week and Daniel was happy to show his new friends and cousins around Storybrooke. It was a fun time, except for the distance between him and his brother. He saw Henry only sparingly when he went with Ruby to check on him and even then they didn't exchange many words. Ruby even told him that they were both being stubborn, but he didn't really care. As long as Henry was going to treat Regina like crap, then he would receive the same treatment from his brother. Besides, he was a bit busy because a week after Regina changed the banquet hall, Maleficent began his magical education.

Day one had the children run the forest trails with Ruby while Maleficent followed from above. Hector and Octavia made it the whole way. Persephone and Eliza almost made it the whole way as well. Flynn dropped off about halfway through and Daniel was irritated to find that he had come in last. He almost passed out from overexerting himself and he vaguely remembered Ruby carrying him home.

Day two had the children do a couple of magical tests. First, Maleficent asked them to hit her with their strongest spell. He chose his explosion spell from Neverland. It hardly affected the dragon, who simply moved on without giving any of them feedback. After that, Mal gave them different spells to cast and they had to do it for as long as they could, while also following instructions she gave them. For Daniel, that meant conjuring a fireball and keeping it lit as long as he was able to, but he had to follow Mal's calls. Every few minutes or so she could tell him to make the fireball bigger or smaller or burn hotter or move it from hand to hand. He was able to do this for two hours before the flame sputtered out and Mal let him go home to rest. He was sure the others could've kept going all day.

Day three consisted of a sparring match. With no experience with self defense or combat in any regard, Daniel was sure to lose his match. Which he did.

After that, Mal gave them a free day and then she met him and his mothers at the mayoral mansion to discuss his assessment.

Oddly enough, Mal came alone. It was strange to see her without the other Queens of Darkness or the kids. Daniel was reading a magic book upstairs in his room when Regina called him. He put away the book and made his way downstairs. Maleficent was seated on the couch wearing a gray dress with a huge diamond necklace around her neck. Regina sat next to her while Ruby was seated on the other couch facing them. His werewolf mother patted the chair next to her and he quickly took it after bowing to Maleficent.

"I didn't do that well, did I?" He asked.

"No," Mal smirked. "But I didn't expect you to. This assessment was to see what you knew."

"I have to do a lot to catch up, don't I? I'm ready." He said, hoping the dragon would be pleased by a show of determination, but Mal only flicked an eyebrow.

"Catch up to who? If you are comparing yourself to anyone else, you're already starting on the wrong foot. Understand?" He nodded quickly as Mal leaned forward. "I'm not teaching you to be as good as someone else or to be better than someone else. Your focus should only be improving yourself, gaining a better understanding of your own abilities. No one else matters in that regard. I only want you to be better than you were the day before, no matter how large or small that difference may be. Understand?" He nodded again. Regina also nodded, showing her support for the dragon's words. "Now, for the first test, you did better than expected, but we want you to build up your fitness. Not only is it beneficial to your training, but it will make you healthier overall which is always nice, no?" She smiled and he couldn't resist doing the same. "Your second test was the only one that was disappointing. Your stamina for magic is impressive considering you only unlocked it a few months ago, but when I asked you to hit me with your strongest spell, it was much weaker than expected."

Regina touched Mal's arm. "We believe he is stronger when he is angry."

"And he is not typically an angry or temperamental child, is he?"

Regina shook her head. "For a time we thought I might be his trigger. He wouldn't react so violently unless it involved me. His magic only came in after he saw me getting attacked by an angry mob."

"And he almost set his room on fire because Henry said something disrespectful about Regina." Ruby added.

Daniel frowned and felt his cheeks burn. He didn't like how easily provoked he had become. He didn't want to accidentally hurt someone just because they said something he didn't like.

"Well, we have to fix that." Mal said, attracting his attention again. "I don't believe it's entirely about Regina. It's more like she is simply the member of your family who is being attacked the most and she is the one you feel you need to protect. From what I've seen, you demonstrate a fierce protectiveness of your family and a desire to hurt those who try to harm them."

"I don't want to hurt anyone." He said.

"That's okay, Daniel. Being angry is normal. Being angry that someone is trying to hurt the people you love is normal. Never think you are wrong for feeling things, okay? If you have concerns you go to your mothers or come to me." He nodded again. "And never be afraid of your magic. Fear will cripple you and it will discourage you from practicing. You must practice. Besides, anger problems can be fixed. All we have to do is figure out a way to channel your anger towards something else because we cannot have you relying on it in order to use your magic. I don't want you to make yourself angry just to cast a spell and I don't want your anger to overwhelm you. Angry people are easy to manipulate and defeat."

"Understood." He said.

"Good. As for your third test, it was a poor showing, but I'm sure you knew that. You have no experience, you're slow, you're weak, your reflexes are atrocious-"

"Mal." Regina hissed.

"What?!" Mal snapped. "You want me to teach the boy or not? If you wanted a teacher who would be sweeter, you should've let him continue training with Snow." Regina glared at her old friend, but held her tongue as Mal continued. "As I was saying, all of this sounds bad, but that only means you can improve. You have no experience, so you will gain experience through training. You are slow, so I will teach you to improve your speed. You are weak, then you can become strong. It's all about improvement. Understand?"

"I do. When do we start?"

"Tomorrow. Come to the library in the morning and take the elevator down into our new training area." She waved her hand, conjuring a small notepad that she handed to Regina. "This is the beginning of his training plan. Is there anything you are concerned about?"

"How come I didn't get a training plan when you were teaching me?" Regina asked, reading over the notes.

"Oh please, as if you would've followed it." The dragon smirked.

Regina eventually passed the notepad to Ruby and Daniel scooted closer to her to look at it as well. It seemed to be a basic workout plan with crunches and sprints and push ups, but there were other exercises that he wasn't sure about.

"You can do some of the physical stuff at home." Mal said. "The magical training will only take place in the training area with me or the other Queens. You can also continue to learn on your own, if you wish. I would just advise you to do so under supervision. Even if it's only reading magic books."

"This seems fine." Ruby said. "No diet plan from the dragon?"

"No, fuck diets." Mal scoffed. "I don't even know what humans eat."

"The same thing you eat." Regina replied. "Except with more vegetables."

"Well, I've seen humans eat all kinds of strange things, so your point is moot."

Daniel silently agreed. He accepted the notepad when Ruby handed it to him. Maleficent stood up and he did as well. "Thank you, Maleficent. I will do my best."

"I know you will." The dragon smiled. "I also want to remind you that are an eleven year old child. You have plenty of time to master your abilities, plenty of time to grow and improve yourself. I know this training seems daunting, but I promise I will not take up too much of your time that could be better spent with family. You only get to be a child once and you should enjoy that time while you can."

He bowed deeply as the dragon teleported away. When he stood back up he let out a happy squeal. "She's so cool! I get to be trained by the Dragon Queen." Regina and Ruby both grinned at his excitement. "Can you explain some of these exercises?"

"Of course." Ruby stood up to do so. "Alright, you know the basics. Pushups, crunches, etc. Let's see your form." Daniel swiftly dropped to the ground and did a couple of pushups. "Good. Now crunches." He rolled over and she gently stepped on his feet. He did two of those as well. "Good."

"What's a gladiator pole?" He asked.

Ruby held out a hand and pulled him up. "I know this one." Regina had him stand still and hold out his arms to either side of them. There was a knock at the door and Ruby went to answer it, but Regina focused on making sure his form was perfect before conjuring a huge piece of wood that extended halfway across the room. She laid it across his shoulders and helped him wrap his hands around it so he could hold it.

"This seems really light." He said, doing a couple of squats.

"Usually, it would be heavier. Mal did have this written under 'advanced', so we may have to work you up to it. Essentially, you have to walk a specific path carrying this on your shoulders."

"I've never heard of this before."

"Mal is really old, dear. I'm sure she's come up with a lot of training exercises you've never heard of."

"Um, hello?"

Daniel didn't bother turning his head, not that he really could, to see his brother and probably some of the other Charmings.

"What's this?" Emma asked.

"We're showing Daniel what a gladiator pole is." Ruby answered, suddenly behind Daniel and lifting the pole off of him. Regina snapped her fingers, sending it away. "What's next?"

Regina looked over the list, also not acknowledging Henry besides a simple "hello". Daniel knew it would only lead to her getting hurt and there was a spark of anger at that. He knew how Regina felt about being a mother. He knew it meant a lot to her and having a son constantly ignore you or be put off by your mere presence must've hurt. He could just imagine the stab of pain every time Henry treated Regina like she wasn't their mother. Like she hadn't been there for them from day one. More so than Emma ever had. Definitely more than Neal had. It was so stupid how the past eleven years meant nothing to him. Just because the Charmings were considered heroes. Stealing babies didn't make people heroes. Even the Evil Queen didn't go after children. So why were they still heroes? Why did their actions not matter- something hit him in the forehead and he looked over at Regina holding a Nerf gun. Ruby started snickering behind him as he plucked the sticky pellet from his head.

"Is there something you'd like to talk about, dear?" Regina asked.

"No, I was just thinking." He glanced over at Emma and Henry, only to be hit by another pellet.

Ruby put a hand on his shoulder and leaned down to whisper. "Things will only get better if you try to make them better. You don't have to do that tonight. In the meantime, don't let it get to you."

Daniel nodded. "What's next?"

Regina sent the Nerf gun away and reread the list. "Nothing we can really do in the house. Oh, she has an obstacle course set up for you guys. You're going to hate that." She chuckled evilly, but Daniel only grinned.

"I'm ready."

"Says the person who said he wanted to cut off his own legs the other day after running the trails." Ruby scoffed.

"Running is awful." He replied. "At least in an obstacle course, it'll be interesting."

"I doubt Mal's going to put you through the ringer on your first day."

"First day of what?" Henry asked.

"Magic training." Daniel answered. He turned to Regina. "How will this interfere with my regular schooling? Since you're still making me go to that."

Regina flicked an eyebrow. "Of course I'm still making you go to school. Mal suggested her classes will only be three days a week and on the weekends, if you would like."

"You're really doing that?" Henry said, looking at his brother, as if he'd been betrayed.

"Yes." Daniel replied. "I said that I would. Why are you surprised?"

"Maybe because Maleficent is a-"

"Villain?! Oh my gosh, I had no idea. It's almost like I don't care." He said.

"She's called the Mistress of All Evil. You really think she's going to do anything other than corrupt you?"

"I have dark magic. I've already been learning dark magic. According to you, I should already be corrupted. I should be cursing people and ruining lives. That's all you think magic is for, right? Unless it's Emma and she can't even use it."

"Boys." Regina said in warning. "That's enough."

"Just one more question, Mom." Daniel said, matching his brother's glare. "You don't want me to learn magic from Maleficent. How else am I supposed to learn how to control it? Who do you suggest I learn from? Since you know everything-"

"I never said I knew everything." Henry hissed.

"You act like it. You act like you know everything about magic and the people that use it. Just because you read some book that we've already established is wrong. You treat our mother like crap and still walk around like you're so perfect. I don't understand. I get you wanted to know our birth family, but why does our real family have to be kicked to the side?"

"I'm not-"

"Are you sure?!" Daniel demanded. He didn't even need to explain it. They all knew he was talking about Regina. He couldn't help glancing at his mothers. Ruby had moved around the couch and put an arm around Regina, who was doing a good job of schooling her expression. Emma looked completely at a loss for what to do while Henry didn't take his eyes off his brother.

Henry took a breath before responding. "I don't know everything, Daniel. I just know that learning magic from the most evil person in the world is a bad idea and I don't want you to become a villain. Unfortunately, all the other people who could teach you are villains," There was another spark of rage at that comment. How dare he call Regina a villain in her own home. Henry continued on as if he hadn't insulted their mother. Whatever patience Daniel had to deal with his brother right now was spent in an instant. "We can find someone else. Maybe the fairies could teach you. I don't know."

"Fairies? Are you kidding me? I don't have fairy magic."

"Maybe they know someone."

"Who cares if they do?" Daniel scoffed. "I have a teacher. Several teachers. All of them combined know more magic than anyone anywhere. Why do I need to find a teacher to suit your standards? Besides, the Queens of Darkness are amazing! If I didn't know their titles, I would hardly believe they're villains. I mean, they did threaten some of the dwarves, but they should be used to it by now." He didn't know why they hated the dwarves, but he did admit that Leroy could be annoying. Zelena and her daughters still called them munchkins, which was apparently a horrible insult to them.

"Then I guess we're stuck." Henry said.

"I guess so."

Emma took a step forward. "If I may interject, maybe Daniel could spend some time with us. Get to know us. And Henry can spend some time with the Queens of Darkness. With supervision of course." Both brothers instantly scowled at that idea.

"Or," Ruby said. "You both can still spend time together while disagreeing on certain things. You are brothers, family. There shouldn't be an us vs them mentality at play."

"I don't think that way." Daniel muttered.

Henry was quiet for a moment. "How can you forgive a bunch of villains but not your own family?"

"Because not everything is about being a hero or a villain. What you label them doesn't change the fact that they helped to rescue us from Neverland. They're helping the kids who were rescued from Neverland. They're teaching me magic, helping Mom with her banquet and Mom with her wolf. As for family, again, I don't know the Charmings-"

"And you never tried to get to know them. They're family too." Henry snapped.

Daniel rolled his eyes. "Just because you were upset about being adopted, doesn't mean I was!" He retorted. "Yes, they are blood, but I'm not just going to accept them as part of the family because you did!"

"Alright, enough." Ruby said sharply. Both boys swiftly backed down. An angry Regina was one thing, but Ruby was not someone you wanted to anger.

"May I go upstairs?" Daniel asked. Ruby nodded and he made his way to his bedroom. He wanted to lock the door but he knew his mothers would come to check on him so he didn't bother. He rolled his eyes again thinking of his brother. It wasn't even anger that he felt anymore, it was just annoying at this point and he was tired of it. He and Henry had had the same argument since the curse broke and it was always why he refused to spend time with Emma and the Charmings. Henry acted like going to find Emma and bringing her back to Storybrooke was some great thing that he did for them when Daniel never cared about being under the curse. Yes, initially he was upset about Regina being the Evil Queen, but Regina was also one of the only mothers he'd ever known. Yes, breaking the curse saved the people in town but he'd also watched those same people try to rip his mother apart. Ruby wasn't afraid of herself during the curse. He was sure of who he was then. Even if he was adopted, he knew he was the son of Regina Mills and Ruby Lucas. Everything was so simple then.

There was a soft knock at the door and he hopped off the bed to answer it. Regina followed him into the room and sat on the bed next to him.

"Sorry for arguing with Henry." He said.

"Family fights sometimes." Regina replied. "Are you okay?"

"Are you? He called you a villain."

"I've got a thick skin, Daniel."

"You shouldn't need one with us."

Regina sighed. He felt her wrap her arms around him and he sank into her embrace, one he could always find comfort in. "You don't need to worry about me, dear."

"Someone has to." He said. He felt her chest shake as she chuckled. "Mom?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think things were better when we were cursed?"

Regina's response took a few moments to come. "If we were still under the Dark Curse, you wouldn't have your magic, remember?"

"I love my magic, but I'd give it up to go back to the way things were before."

"We can never go back to the way things were before." Regina said softly, kissing the top of his head. "Yes, things were easier under the curse, but it was never meant to last. I knew that when I cast it. I also know that I would not change one thing about my life. The chance that changing one tiny thing might result in me never meeting you and Henry and Ruby is..." Daniel raised his head and his heart ached at the sight of the sorrow on his mother's face. Her eyes were glassy with unshed tears.

"Mom?" Regina looked at him, refocusing on him and he moved to hug her this time. "Don't ever think about that again." He commanded.

"Yes sir." Regina gave him a squeeze before he crawled back off the bed. "Did you read the book on the Gray Fae language?"

He nodded and went to grab the book from his desk. It was at the very bottom of the pile, purposefully placed there so the others could act as paperweights because the bindings were so old. "What about it?" He asked, sitting next to his mother. The Gray Fae were a very ancient race of magic creatures and their language was also magical in a way that you couldn't lie while speaking it. It only allowed you to speak the truth. He always thought it was cool and after looking at several other languages, he considered it one of the most unique as well.

"Do you still know the spell to understand any language?"

"Yes."

Regina spoke a few sentences in the Gray Fae language and he quickly grabbed a pencil to write down a translation. As soon as he wrote down her words, he whispered the spell she taught him to understand new languages and read what she said.

Being a mother to you and Henry is the greatest thing I've ever done. To be here and to know you, is worth all the pain.

"Mom." He carefully turned the old, delicate pages until he found another translation to reply to his mother's words.

I love you.

He almost yelped when Regina hugged him again, almost crushing him to her chest. He squeezed her back just as hard.

"Don't cry, Mom."

"I'm trying." Came the soft whisper. After a minute Regina released him from her death grip. "You should get some rest. Big day tomorrow." He noticed her discreetly wiping the corners of her eyes, but he didn't comment on it. He went into the bathroom and quickly changed into his pajamas. When he returned to the bedroom Regina had put his books away and tidied up his desk. He climbed into bed and she tucked him in. "Good night, my prince."

"Good night, Mom."

After Regina had gone, Daniel lay there in the dark for some time thinking over everything that transpired tonight culminating with his mother's heartfelt words. Just remembering them made him feel…heavy. Not tired or sleepy, but heavy, and warm. He could barely describe the strange feeling, much less understand it. Maybe he could talk to his mothers about it tomorrow.

There was a soft rap on the door and it cracked open. He smiled when he saw Ruby peek her head in.

"I won't disturb you, kid. Good night."

"Good night, Rumi. I love you."

"Love you too."

/

Daniel was up at seven the next morning. Mal said the first lesson wouldn't be until eleven, but he was too excited to lay back down. After taking a shower he looked over his closet to figure out what he needed to wear. He wasn't sure what they would be doing but he wanted to be prepared. In the end, he chose a plain black t-shirt and black joggers. He went downstairs and wasn't too surprised to find his mothers already up and about. Regina was busy making omelets while Ruby was working on the computer. Both were dressed like they were going for a workout with the addition of Regina still wearing her crown from Eliza.

"You guys are working out together?" He asked, sitting to the kitchen island.

"Nope." Ruby said. "Maleficent wanted us at your first lesson for some reason. Said to dress in something we wouldn't mind getting dirty and sweaty."

He wondered what Maleficent had planned. Regina slid a plate in front of him and he devoured it in record time. "Can we go there early?" He asked, moving to wash the dishes before Regina could.

"If you want to." He heard the amusement in her voice.

Once the dishes were clean he ran to grab his shoes in the foyer. "Come on, Moms!" He yelled.

Regina and Ruby finally came to the front door. Regina conjured a black sling backpack for him with a notebook and pencils in it. He put it on and raced outside only to slam into Persephone. Eliza and Zelena both stepped out of the way as they hit the ground.

"Good morning to you too." Eliza giggled as she helped them up.

"Ow. Good morning. Sorry about that."

"Excited about your first lesson?" Zelena asked.

"Yes! I'm so ready!" Daniel exclaimed. "I can't wait to see what we're going to do." Persephone also shared in his excitement and joined him in bouncing around the amused witch. Regina and Ruby stepped outside and greeted Zelena. Daniel stopped when he saw Eliza holding another brown case. "You made another crown?"

Eliza nodded. "For Ruby."

Ruby crouched down in front of her. "You didn't have to hurry and make one for me."

"I know, but I got a good idea for one and I wanted to give it to you right away." Eliza put the case on the ground and opened it. She pulled out a wooden crown that was jagged and unpolished, resembling tree branches and leaves. There were places where holes had been filled with clay to make it smooth and one red flower had been braided into the rest. Golden light flashed from Eliza's hands, turning the wood and clay to silver and gold. Half the crown was silver and the other half was gold and the two mixed together in a swirling pattern where they met in the middle. At a closer look, Daniel could see little wolves running around the bottom of the crown with tiny rubies for eyes. The centerpiece for the crown was not a ruby, but a huge pale gem that seemed to change colors under the right light.

Ruby's jaw dropped when she saw the finished product. "Eliza, I can't accept this. This is too much."

"You don't like it?" Eliza asked, looking at her creation. "I thought it would fit you. I wanted to make the silver half red, but you seemed tired of that color. I don't really blame you."

"No, I like it. It's just…"

Zelena leaned forward over her daughter. "If you're worried about expenses, think nothing of it. Eliza made these gems and even if she didn't, gems are abundant in Oz. There are mountains literally made of rubies there."

Ruby seemed stunned before she bowed and allowed Eliza to crown her. Regina practically beamed at her wife. "Thank you, Eliza."

"She's not used to such finery." Regina said to the girl, who nodded in understanding. "Despite the fact that she is deserving of all the finery in the world." Ruby only blushed as she accepted a hug from Eliza.

"Shall we go?" She asked, swiftly changing the subject.

"We shall." Regina took her hand and led them off to the library.

Daniel could barely contain his excitement as they walked into town. So much of Storybrooke had changed in the past week. Regina had allowed Zelena to make changes to the flora of the small town and the witch ended up planting new trees and flowers, even removing some concrete in places to do so. There was a huge new public pool that he couldn't wait to jump in and there was a giant new building that his mothers hadn't done anything to yet but he knew would become the new B&B for the visiting werewolves. When they passed the playground he couldn't help but smile at seeing how much bigger it was. Regina had even planted grass around it rather than just having it be dirt. Down the street, a store had been combined with the one next to it and was turned into a huge arcade and a lot of buildings and stores had been upgraded, revamped and repainted. There was also a new gym with a lot of gymnastic equipment and a rock climbing wall, a couple of archery ranges, and another building that was basically a huge pit full of squishy squares and different platforms to jump off of. People looked happier by the new changes. Some did not, such as the dwarves. That was because Regina and Ruby ignored any requests they sent in.

The library had remained mostly the same except for a third floor being added and Belle buying hundreds of books to fill the shelves. Whether that was a gift from Gold or part of the town redesign, he wasn't sure. The librarian was inside, cataloging and shelving the new books.

"You need some help, Belle?" Daniel asked.

"If you would be so kind." Belle sighed in relief.

"What are you trying to do?" Zelena asked.

Belle showed her how she was putting barcodes on the new books, scanning them into the computer and shelving them by author's last name. Zelena cast one spell and the list of barcodes floated off the pages. The stacks of books surrounding Belle lifted into the air and the barcodes began sticking themselves to the spines of the books and flew over to the shelves. As they did so they passed under the scanner. It made a high pitched beep after each one and Belle's jaw dropped as she read the computer screen.

"All done." Zelena sang as she strutted off to the elevator. The others followed her into it and she pulled the lever sending them down into the cavern beneath Storybrooke.

"We may have to spruce the place up before Mal gets here." Regina murmured.

"Like an underground castle?" Daniel asked.

"If that's what you want."

"It is."

Regina smirked. "Then it shall be."

Daniel grinned as the elevator doors opened. His law dropped when he saw the cavern. He expected to find just an empty cave, but instead they walked into an underground forest. There was even sunlight coming from above. "What happened?" He looked up at his mother but she didn't seem to have one.

The small group came to a clearing that bordered a babbling brook. The Queens of Darkness were there, talking amongst themselves while the young dragons wrestled in their dragon forms. Flynn was also there, watching Lily play with her phone. When Maleficent spotted them she was on her feet in an instant.

"Welcome to your training grounds. The cave was a bit drab so we did a little remodeling."

"Mal, this is amazing!" Regina said, looking around.

"Indeed. We can change up things as we need to later, but I am excited to begin teaching my new students. To begin, I will speak to each student individually and decide how to proceed from there. Daniel, you're up first. The rest of you will listen to Ursula for the next part." She waved her hand, conjuring a huge boulder that flattened into a stone platform that overlooked the clearing. Stairs appeared in the rock leading up to the top. Daniel glanced at his mothers, receiving an encouraging smile from both of them, before he followed the dragon up the stairs. Maleficent crouched down to scratch a magic symbol in the stone before sitting down. Daniel joined her, sliding his bag off and laying it next to him.

"So, Daniel, is there something specific you wanted to learn?" Mal turned to look at him. It was…nerve wracking to have the Dragon Queen's full attention. He wasn't even able to utter a sentence before she reached out and offered her hand. "I suppose I haven't truly introduced myself to you over these past couple of weeks, have I?" The blues of her eyes were almost dancing and the smile painted on her face could rival the sun. "I am Maleficent. Dragon Queen, Mistress of All Evil, and Great Beast. Those are my official titles but I'm sure there are a variety of other colorful pseudonyms provided by people I've pissed off."

Daniel smiled and shook her hand, marveling for a moment at how hot and soft hers was. "I am Daniel Mills, son of Regina Mills and Ruby Lucas. Future mage warrior."

Mal grinned. "I like it. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"And you." Daniel glanced around and thought over her question. "I guess I want to learn the basics of magic. Mom said that knowing a basic offensive, defensive and healing spell is a must. She also said teleportation is way too advanced for right now unfortunately."

"Agreed. At least not teleporting yourself. Small objects shouldn't be too hard."

"I really want to learn how to shapeshift. Maybe even a little fire breathing. Honestly, Maleficent, I want to learn any and everything you can teach me."

Mal arched an eyebrow. "Alright then." She seemed to think for a moment before crossing her legs. He did the same, watching her carefully. "Your first lesson will be learning to call upon your magic without getting angry. Magic is driven by emotions. You've been learning dark magic so far and anger is the emotion that dark magic needs for power. It is an immensely potent and powerful form of magic. However, what happens if you are not angry anymore? What happens when you learn how to move past your anger?"

"You can't use your magic effectively?" Daniel said.

Mal nodded. "Correct. To begin with, I wanted to show you how others use their magic. May I cast a spell on you?" He nodded vigorously, scooting closer. She smiled and touched the top of his head. "This spell will allow you to see magic in others."

When Daniel opened his eyes all he saw was a roaring fire. He instantly closed them and felt Maleficent's hands on his shoulders, gently shaking him.

"It's okay. Try again."

Daniel opened his eyes and looked around. The fire was dull now and he realized that it was Maleficent herself causing it. She was like a ball of fire. Was that her magic? "You're so bright."

"Thank you."

Daniel looked down at himself and to his surprise, he didn't see anything. "I can't see my magic."

"Cast a spell."

He summoned a fireball in his palm and looked down again. That was when he saw his magic. Red cords flowing throughout his body like the ones he'd conjured the first time he used magic.

"You're like Lily." Mal said. She tapped his shoulder and gestured to the others below, playing a game with a spinning blue ball that glowed with magic. He could see magic in the others as well. He focused on Lily, as Mal instructed, but he didn't see her magic.

"I don't understand. Is it because she's not using it?"

"Yes. That happens when you grow up without magic and then suddenly unlock it. I was separated from Lilith for years because of the Charmings." Mal said, her voice growing softer. "I knew it would be difficult to find her, but it took so much time. She was fourteen before we found her and it was another year before we had gained her trust enough to take her back to the Enchanted Forest and begin her training."

Years? Spending years searching for the child stolen from you? It sounded awful. "I'm sorry." He glanced over at the dragon who only smiled.

"Thank you, but thankfully, we did find her and she has grown into a beautiful woman and a wonderful mother. However, old habits die hard. Having spent the early part of her life without magic, it was very difficult for her to learn how to use it. And since we spend so much time in the Land Without Magic, she doesn't use it as often. She essentially turns it on when she wants to cast a spell and turns it off when she's not using it."

Daniel watched Hector kick the ball to his mother. He was like Mal, a roaring fire that was always blazing. Lily's leg lit up with crimson flames when she kicked the ball and then they went out again. He looked over the others, his gaze falling on his mother. Regina's magic was also dull, a purple glow in her stomach that was always present but only flared when she kicked the ball. Ruby was always lit up with silver like the dragons. Zelena's magic was crazy looking. It was green and gold and black, the cords always moving and twisting.

"Is Zelena's so crazy because she's always had magic?" He asked.

"Partly. One's magic is also shaped by them, their lives, their pasts, their personalities." Mal touched his shoulder, ending the spell on his eyes. Everything returned to normal. "Now, essentially, what I want you to work on is calling on your magic without relying on anger. I would prefer that you learn to use it as Regina does. She began learning magic when she was eighteen. Rather than turning off your magic when not using it, it sort of fades into the background. It makes it easier to use at a moment's notice." Daniel nodded, already considering new ways to do so. "In regards to your interests, fire breathing will be the last thing we learn. We won't even touch on that today. When it comes to shapeshifting, I want you to study the animals. Start with something simple and we can practice it next time." Daniel pulled out his notebook to write down her instructions.

Shapeshifting was much more than he expected. He would have to study the animals he wanted to take the shape of but Mal did give him a few tips. Smaller animals were more difficult than larger ones. Felines were more difficult than canines apparently. Mal also cautioned him against shapeshifting into flying animals until he'd learned more about flying in general, such as air currents and wind speeds etc.

"Will you teach me to turn into a dragon?"

"Absolutely." Maleficent exclaimed. "Your mother will disagree, but we don't have to tell her until you perfect the spell. Now, that'll be all for today. You can join the others and send Flynn up or you can ask Lily for some self defense lessons."

"Okay. Thank you, Maleficent."

"Mal." She growled.

He grinned as he stood up and bowed. "Mal." He turned to head down the stairs, but Mal called him again. "Yes?"

Mal stood up and dusted off her dress. "Are you okay?"

"Yes?"

She smirked but it quickly faded. "Are you certain? It has been a stressful few weeks for all of you children and though I know you've spoken to Archie and your mothers, I worry. I know you don't know me that well yet, but you are the son of a dear friend and my student and if there is anything you need…"

"I'm okay, Mal." Truly, he was. The other kids and his new studies kept him from dwelling on being imprisoned on Neverland and everything that followed and the few times they weren't enough, he went to talk to his mothers and they made everything alright.

"And your brother?"

"Still an idiot. He suggested I learn from the fairies instead of you last night."

The dragon's jaw dropped. "I have never been so insulted by a child in my life."

Daniel burst into a grin. "Don't worry, your majesty. I'm not an idiot. Villain or not, there is no one better to teach me magic than you."

"Except maybe Regina. Perhaps you should ask her to teach you potion making. She's quite adept at it and I know she would enjoy it." Mal smiled as she glanced down at said Queen Mayor.

"I'll ask her." He grinned at the idea.

After a moment, Mal arched an eyebrow. "That is all for now. You may go."

Daniel bowed once more and ran down the stairs to his mothers. He called Flynn and told him that Mal wanted to see him next. Regina and Ruby sat with him in the grass as he pulled out his notebook and told them everything Mal told them and her suggestions for how he could get better.

"I'm guessing you want to use a wolf as your practice animal." Regina arched an eyebrow as she looked over his notes. He only grinned in reply. "Okay then."

"Or I could do a horse and you could shapeshift with me. Wait, if I go running in horse form, will that be the same as going running in human form?"

"Yes-"

"Yes!" Running would be so much more fun now. "She also said you could teach me to make potions."

Regina's other eyebrow rose when she looked at him. "You want to learn to make potions?"

"I'm offended that you thought I wouldn't." He said. "I want to learn everything you can teach me!"

"I understand that, but you can't learn everything at once."

"I know." He grinned.

Regina rolled her eyes and gave him a smile anyway. "Alright then, but I think you've missed out on a good opportunity."

"To do what?"

"Have you lost your interest in engineering?"

"No, but I want to learn magic right now. Why?"

"Mal," She gestured to the stone platform. "Likes to build things too. Mostly jewelry, but she can make weapons and-"

"WHAT?!" Daniel exclaimed. "I could learn to make magic weapons?" He immediately made to get his teacher, but Ruby grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back down.

"That's obviously too advanced." Regina laughed. "But you can ask when she gets done with Flynn."

"I could make a mjolnir." He whispered, ignoring his mother's warning.

"Absolutely not."

"Or a sword that lights on fire!"

"This is your fault." Ruby said, smirking at Regina.

Daniel turned away when Eliza, Persephone and Zelena came to sit with him and he told them all about Mal's instructions as well.

"Mommy has spells you can try." Eliza said, before looking up at Zelena. "Don't you, Mommy?"

"I do." Zelena smirked.

Eliza turned back to Daniel. "She taught us small spells to practice with so we can develop better control and precision."

"Show me." Daniel said.

The first spell she showed him was tying a string into a knot using magic which was ridiculously difficult. The second consisted of levitating little pebbles in his hand. It required a great deal of concentration to keep the pebbles level and then Eliza started spinning them. Zelena assured him that these little exercises were excellent in helping with precision, but they were mostly geared towards telekinesis and teleportation. Another spell she showed him to introduce him to teleportation was moving things from place to place, like teleporting a rock a foot to the left.

He wrote everything down to add to his list of things to practice. If only his days wouldn't be ruined by that time suck known as school. At least he had his cousins and friends waiting for him at home, but still…He sighed and continued making notes before looking at Regina. "I have to study you, Mom."

"Me? Why?"

"Mal says I need to learn to use my magic as you do." He quickly explained the spell Mal had used on him and the results of seeing everyone's magic. "I guess because I just unlocked mine it sorta flips off like a light switch when I'm not using it. But yours is never off. It just becomes a bit dull."

"You should always be able to feel your magic." Zelena said.

"Yeah, and Mom gets mad all the time but she doesn't set herself on fire."

"I don't get mad all the time." Regina instantly denied. "Being frustrated by idiots is very different."

Daniel only grinned in reply. He had a busy two months ahead of him and he couldn't wait.

/

After that day Daniel settled into a bit of a routine. Jogging with Ruby and some of the others in the morning, sometimes in animal form, then regular school, then as soon as it let out he would run straight to the library for lessons with Mal. On odd days he worked with Lily on hand to hand combat and sometimes Zelena would teach about precision and basic healing or his mother would give a magic lesson. His day ended with him practicing everything he'd learned so far and reading magic books. On his rest days he played games with the dragons and his cousins. All of them got along great but when they clashed it was the most hilarious thing to see. Watching Persephone and Hector scream at each other while playing Mario Kart was glorious. Sometimes they managed to get the adults to join in. A game of uno almost turned into a street fight, but it was fun. They even managed to coax the other Lost Boys to play as well.

Eventually, the week of the banquet arrived and things became a little more hectic but he didn't mind helping his mothers in whatever way he could. And while everything was good and well, there were moments of quiet where he missed his brother.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Read and Review!