May 29th 2016 Storybrooke Harbor, Maine, 10:00 A.M EDT

"Do you have everything?" Asked Snow as she adjusted my collar. "I packed you a thermos of cocoa for the trip." She glanced at Ruby. "Promise you'll come visit?" Throwing herself toward her, the smaller woman wrapped Ruby in a tight hug, burying her face in her shoulder. "I can't believe you're leaving. You can come back any time ok?"

I was somewhat blindsided. Between being Henry's grand uncle and Ruby's new boyfriend, Snow had decided I was family, and was mothering me relentlessly on the way to the ship. It was…deeply unsettling. She was so nice and wholesome, it made my teeth itch. I was just trying to stay as quiet as possible until we could leave.

Emma, for her part, was smirking from off to the side as she took in my discomfort. I'd heard enough about her past to realize she knew exactly how weird this felt to me, and was enjoying seeing someone else squirm for once. "She's right you know." She said as she gestured to where her mother was trying to squeeze the life out of my newest girl. "You're not so bad. You can come back if you want."

"Oh I will." I said with a smirk. "After all, I have to figure out if you're going to end up with the pirate or your interdimensional baby daddy. You're like a fairy tale version of Jerry Springer."

She glared at me. "I was wrong. Leave and never come back." I just laughed and rolled my eyes as I turned to my grand nephew.

"See you around kid." I tossed him a small rock, which he caught easily enough, staring down at it in confusion. The stone was a prismatic looking crystal, the inside flooded with a powerful radiance.

[Appraisal function activated. Treasure detected. Lunar Quartz- D rank. A gem that has absorbed the powers of gemworld's gleaming moon. An expert focus for positively aligned and light attributed mystical power, and a strong ward against darkness.]

I still had a ton of little gems from here and there in gemworld in my pouch, some powerful and some less so. That one seemed like it would help the kid out without costing me anything, especially since I used my karmic weaving to merge it. A combination of a moonstone and one of my scales (the moonstone dragged the rank down a LOT) to keep an eye on him.

There was something kind of nice about having new relatives. I didn't even really want to have sex with Snow. She gave me absurdly wholesome vibes. I'd probably have nailed Emma, but again, that would just be complicated.

Looking around, I took in the big crowd that gathered to see us off. Well, mostly Ruby, honestly. She was really popular here, but an unnerving number of people had given me going away gifts, since being in the royal family even by extension was a big deal. I got a few pies, a wardrobe for some reason, about ten pounds of deer jerky, and a dozen other random knickknacks that weren't much use points wise but I wouldn't say no to free stuff.

Stepping up though, I put a hand on Ruby's shoulder. "We've gotta go." I said, almost gently. "Zee can set up portals for you when you want them, and I can even work on giving you the power to OPEN portals if you'd prefer. Might be useful."

Having a portal werewolf sounded neat, and maybe next time we'd have a mortal stable transport. I just knew my girls were going to insist on visiting and meeting everyone, once I got through the big mess that was coming. She smiled brightly at me, and I nodded, heading out onto the ship while she said her final goodbyes.

I met Zee when I reached the deck, talking to my brother. "I'd have figured you'd be saying goodbye to your girl?" I said as I joined them.

Rumple nodded. "Aye, we've said our goodbyes. She's…proud. That I'm going to help you. Says it's the right thing, helping family. It's strange to be setting off with her blessing. To be doing something that everyone approves of."

"I mean…" I said slowly. "We both know that we're mostly going for revenge, and that even when I find mom she's probably going to need an ass kicking to help me, right?" I raised an eyebrow. "Like you're not going to suddenly grow a conscience and stop me from murdering that prepubescent fuck? I picked you and Hook as traveling companions for a reason."

He smiled thinly. "Don't worry about me. My father represents a clear and present danger to me. Getting rid of him is the best outcome for both myself and Belle, even if she doesn't need to know it. What of the wolf, won't she stop you?"

Chuckling, I shook my head. "Ruby has a very developed sense of necessity. She's a predator after all. She's not going to fault me killing Pan in self defense. Which I will, because that stupid little bastard will DEFINITELY try something to stop me from reaching the island. I-"

A voice cut through the air. "Cap'n!" Bellowed a small, squat man with a red hat. We glanced at each other and followed him up to where Hook was standing at the main wheel, glancing at Emma with an indecisive expression. He snapped out of it when the guy, who appraisal called Smee, approached.

"Quit your catterwauling, Smee!" He snapped. "I'm right here, tell me what you have to say, don't scream it."

Flinching slightly, the man shoved a hand into a bag at his side, and passed over a small object. A bottle with a scroll in it. Popping the top on it, he slid out the message, marked with a stylized P seal stamped in wax. "A message from Pan, Cap'n."

Hook swiped the seal open with his hook, expertly parting the wax and unrolling the thing in one fluid motion. I raised a brow at that. Huh. Interesting. Appraisal said he was D rank, and stronger than a normal person, and the ship was useful. Maybe I'd see if he wanted to head back with us. If the boat actually made the portal travel easier I was certainly not going to say no to a ride home.

He grimaced, passing me the letter and I scanned it. "Blah, blah, blah.I have your mother. Blah, blah, blah, evil gloating. Give us the boy or else. Oh look, he thinks Zee will still be stuck in the seal." I grinned at her. "He's using your life to negotiate with me. I'm going to pull out his fucking spinal column and whip him to death with it."

She giggled lightly, visibly disturbing Hook and Smee as she kissed me in thanks for swearing to do such gruesome things. They'd learn though, if they ended up working for me after this.

Ruby stepped onto the deck, heading over to us, hood up. "I already heard." She said as I held up the letter and began to speak. "And I approve." Her eyes flickered a lupine gold. "Threatening Zee was a bad idea."

Zee, for her part, cooed that she was a sweetie and then pulled RUBY into a deep kiss, one that disturbed the pirates substantially less. They were in fact, far too undisturbed by it, and I was forced to growl to make most of them look away, which they quickly did, making themselves look busy as I chuckled.

"So, we ready to go then?" I asked Hook, who was methodically checking the wheel of his ship for some reason. Speaking of the ship, I gave it a once over with appraisal and was surprised what I found.

[Appraisal function activated. Treasure detected. Jolly Roger- C rank pirate ship. Once the Jewel of the Realm, this ship is steeped in the magic through which it has tread. Enhanced by exposure to sorcery, both dark and light, the Jolly Roger is the fastest vessel in all the realms, and is uniquely suited for cross dimensional voyages. The Jolly Roger is bound mystically to her captain, and only he can bring out the best in her..]

Yeah, I was definitely offering him a job after this. Honestly that was a two birds one stone kind of thing for me. I liked the captain, and Rumple WOULD kill his ass as soon as he tried anything. As for his whole lost love thing, Brightedge had some quality booty too, I was sure one of those goth girls as the bar we met Thorn would drop her panties so fast for Hook they'd leave a bat shape imprint in the floor.

The captain reached into his pocket, withdrawing a small glass bottle with a nearly translucent bean. "A gift from Swan and her parents. No idea where they got it, but it'll do for the trip to the island. You're sure you can get us out? Neverland is a magical place, and not in a good way."

Snorting, I popped my claws, showing them to him with a smile. "If I can't Zee can. I'll get us out of there if I have to shatter the island and all the magic there with my own two hands. Seriously, fuck that island in particular."

"Aye, then we're ready." Turning for one last look at Emma, he swallowed and then turned to pop the cap off the bottle and hurl it overhand out over the front of the ship.

I was impressed at the arc he got, actually, the bottle flew out over the ocean, giving us a solid amount of lead time before it plunked into the water with an anticlimactic sploosh. I waited for a second, and nothing happened, but I was confident in the bean, given how similar it was to ours. After a second, there was a bubble in the water, the ocean starting to churn in that spot, and Hook turned to the crew, about to call our heading.

Before he could speak, I help a hand, cutting him off as a portal started to form. "Wait, can I say it? I know the line and I've always wanted to say that on a pirate ship." My face was split in a massive grin as the water twisting into an ever largening whirlpool. This was going to be the best part of the trip, I was sure of it.

Rolling his eyes, Hook laughed. "Go ahead mate, assuming you know the words as well as you say you do. It should help the portal focus on the destination in any case, making all of us think of that bloody hellscape."

He called out a series of commands, and the pirates did a bunch of…shippy things. Stuff with masts and lines and all sorts of other boaty shit I had no interest in. The last one was to pull up the anchor though, and even I knew what that did. Once it was up, he spun the wheel as the wind from the whirlpool caught the sail.

We glided smoothly forward, the turn bringing us into the whirlpool's outer edge, and we began to speed up, getting faster and faster as we spun in wide circles along the outer edge of natural water vortex. Or unnatural as the case may be, given the whirling light show at the very bottom.

As we sped up, I strolled effortlessly forward on the rolling deck, grabbing a beam near the front as I stepped up on the prow of the ship. Looking back at Zee and Ruby, I shot my girls a wink as I gazed into the sucking vacuum of magical power we were headed for. Throwing back my head, I crowed at the top of my lungs. "Second star from the right! And straight on til' morning!" It was the last thing I managed to say before we were dragged into the portal. Being a pirate was fucking awesome.

May 29th 2016 Jolly Roger, Neverland Sea, 1:00 P.M EDT

The trip through the portal was amazing. No nausea, no pain, just crazy flashing colors and shit. I made the decision right there to hire Hook. I had no real issue with the guy, and based on how vindictive my brother seemed to be, chances were good he would suffer and die if he stuck around.

I hung out watching the ocean for a while, but once I realized that we were going to be sailing for a while even post portal, I headed up top the wheel to find out what was up. "So…aren't portals supposed to be pretty much instant?" I said, interrupting a brooding Hook.

He jerked, clearly startled at being addressed, and frowned at me. "Bad luck to interrupt the captain while he's thinking, mate." Reaching into his coat, he pulled out a battered old flask, taking a swig before offering it to me. "Rum?" Shrugging, I took it and took a pull of my own, passing it back.

"Not bad." I said cheerfully. I'd always liked rum. I was a fan of sweet things, and rum was literally fermented sugar. "So, I was asking about the wait, but I guess you've got other things on your mind. Let me guess, tall blonde and recently reunited with her baby daddy?"

I could see him struggle with the desire to lash out, balancing it with the knowledge that I could swat him like a fly. He eventually settled on growling. "No. Barely know the lass. No reason to be jealous. I'm more worried about going back to Neverland. Pan is a threat to all of us, even if you and the Dark One don't seem worried."

"Maybe." I shrugged. "But we've got plenty of firepower on this ship. Between me, Rumple, and Zee, there aren't many things that could threaten us. If you're not caught up on the girl though, why don't you listen to an offer? I want to hire you to work for me."

He raised an eyebrow. "Last I heard you were heading back to your world, and it's a lot like the one we just left. Not as much use for a seafaring vessel."

I smiled at that. "But what if it wasn't a seafaring vessel?" I gestured down to the Jolly Roger. "What if I could give your ship the ability to sail the skies? I can have Zee arrange to make it hard to see too. You'd work for me in exchange."

Honestly, Zee could probably enchant the damned ship to fly manually, but it would take ages to get right, and I didn't want risk her accidentally interfering with the aspect that gave it better portal travel. The native magic seemed to be naturally occurring almost, and while I was sure she would have fun studying it, that kind of thing could take months or years.

No, I was just going to merge it with something flight capable. To my surprise, Hook's eyes lost focus, and he reached out and touched the ship. "She could fly again?" He whispered.

That…wasn't what I expected. Though I guess I should have, this world was nuts and weird shit happened. The ship having flown before wasn't completely outside the realm of possibility. "So, what do you say? If you're looking for girls I know a bunch of places back home where you could meet the type who would be interested in you." I'd even have Amy help him out with her red thread powers, so he could find love the same way he would here.

Grimacing, he looked back to where Rumple was standing. "I suppose you'd want me to give up on my revenge? Let the crocodile go?"

I sighed. "Dude, that whole thing is a mess. You're secret besties with his kid? Have a thing for the mother of his grandson? It's just all so complicated. The best revenge you can get on my brother is living well. Move on. There are whole other worlds for you to conquer. Rumple isn't worth giving up the life of a pirate. Can you really pass on that chance?"

There was no possible way he would naturally let that go. He was obsessed, completely saturated with negative karma. In this world, that kind of thing could really rot your soul, actually change who you were as a person…so I ate it. As I talked, I consumed his bad karma, storing it for an attack later.

He actually had a freakishly large amount of it. Like, he was up there with people like Mongul. This world's karmic rules were weird. The more I consumed, the more his face cleared. The more willing he was to listen. I was eating what this world would consider the darkness in his heart, and without it…he was just a sailor who wanted to see new things.

"I agree." He finally said, his gaze clearer than I'd seen it since I met him. No rage, or pain, or guilt, just freedom. "I'll go with you when this is over. Assuming the Dark One doesn't pull something and strand me here." This had been a win win for me, some power to punch with later and a new employee. Amy would be psyched to play matchmaker, and I wouldn't have to go through all the shitty soul sickness when we went through the portal.

I snorted. "There's no place Rumple could put you that I couldn't get you if I felt like it. And if he makes me resurrect you I'll kick his ass. Neither of you should be fucking with the other, and I'm officially calling your fight off." My head snapped to the side, eyes glowing as I gazed down the deck at my brother, who was looking right at you. "Besides, my brother has a more important target for his vengeance. Don't you Rumple?"

There was a puff of red smoke, and he was standing in front of me. I had to hand it to Rumple, despite being almost a whole foot shorter than me, he didn't quail or flinch back. At the height of his power, my brother felt more confident than he probably should. "Aye." He finally said. "You help me destroy my father and I'll let the pirate go."

I beamed at both of them. "See. Now isn't that much more convenient than holding grudges?" The smile dropped off my face as I looked at both of them. "Of course, you two know what will happen if you BREAK a deal with the Dragon God of Karma, right?"
My usual policy was to use the carrot more than the stick, but my brother was a spiteful lunatic from what I'd heard, so a bit of both was warranted.

I didn't expect he would break our agreement though. He was a master of magic, and he would know what I could do. The 'curse' that brought Storybrooke to earth was babytown flocks compared to the sheer devastation I could leverage against him. He had so much bad karma he'd never stop suffering.

Part of me wanted to offer to take it…but I knew he wouldn't accept. Rumple's bad karma wasn't just his own. All his power was steeped in the stuff. Evil magic in this world WAS bad karma, and siphoning off his would weaken him immensely, if not completely undo his power. Plus I'd have to overpower him to do it, or he'd try to fight back.

With everything that needed saying said, I turned and headed back down the ship to the rear, down into the cabin where my girls had decided to wait. They were seated at a table in the hold, chatting amiably, Ruby regaling Zee with stories of all the magic she'd seen and the adventures she'd had.

Not wanting to interrupt, I sat down to one side, letting Ruby finish her story. "So Snow gave up her memories of David so he could get married and be king. King George blackmailed her into it. David tracked her down though, and true love's kiss broke the forgetting spell and gave her the memories back."

Her smile was wide and happy, and I had to admit I liked seeing her like this. Not enough to go full on good guy, but I was sure we could find Ruby some work with Barbie doing the hero thing. Had to keep my girls happy.

Zee looked up, surprised out of her enraptured listening. "Oh, Nicky! How long have you been there? Are we almost to Neverland?"

Pausing, I thought back on my conversation. "Shit, I don't know. I got distracted. My brother was being a drama queen again. Also I hired Hook. He's taking us home. I'm going to upgrade his ship so it can fly."

"Ooh!" She squealed excitedly. "Let me watch! I bet I can learn something if I map the changes. When are you doing it?"

I shrugged. "There's no rush. We're already on the same sea, and this thing is freakishly fast for a nautical ship. We're clocking a hundred miles an hour or so, which is something like eighty seven knots. That's over four times faster than the Queen Anne's Revenge, which at twenty knots was one of the fastest recorded pirate ships back home."

Zee blinked at me. "How…how do you even know that? It's such a random stat to have heard about, and you're not exactly a nerd."
"I liked pirates as a kid." I said with another shrug. "They're cool. Point is, we should get there soon. Are you two doing ok down here? Seems like you're having fun getting to know each other."

It made me wonder how Ruby would get on with the other girls. Amy would love her, obviously, Amy loved everyone, and they loved her back, or she made them. Barbie would probably be a fan given Ruby's heroic leanings. She was a bit more brutal than most heroes back home, but so was Barbie by this point.

She seemed to be able to tell what I was thinking. "Tell me about them? I know you mentioned other girls, and some of them are pregnant. Not that I mind, since I know they don't care, and as a wolf wanting a big family is kind of ingrained. But I'd like to hear more about the others."

Sighing, I leaned back. "I guess I could do that. Amy would probably be first. She's my wife, and a dragon like me. She's carrying our baby right now, and that particular kid is bound to be pretty damned powerful. It's going to be a nightmare raising them." Despite my words, I was smiling when I thought about my super powerful dragon baby.

"Then there's Dinah." I continued. "We were both basically human when she got pregnant. I'd had a bit of upgrading done but not much. Our kid will probably be normal, maybe some natural superhuman abilities and probably some kind of sonic attack. Dinah was a superheroine for a long time and she can scream loud enough to shatter glass."

She raised an eyebrow. "I can't imagine THAT will be a pleasant trait for a baby to have."

"Shit." I said. "I hadn't even considered that. You're right. Whisper was upgraded before the baby had a chance to really grow at all, so her and the baby both probably got powers from the feathered serpent I gave her. And the other kids will both be inheriting powers from their mothers, who are gemworld nobles."

Gracie's baby would probably be the second strongest, while Mordiel's would only inherit some of my weaker dragon powers. Not that it mattered. I could upgrade my kids if they wanted it later. I was mostly just glad they'd be able to protect themselves.

I kept going, talking about all the girls, what they were like, and other random nonsense Ruby seemed to enjoy. I was actually kind of getting into it when there was a shout from the deck. We all bolted up the steps, coming out onto the ship and looking around. We froze when we saw what they were calling for. Off in the distance, a massive island covered with trees. We'd arrived at Neverland.

May 29th 2016 Jolly Roger, Neverland Sea, 2:00 P.M EDT

Before I could hop off the deck and glide over to check out the island, Rumple grabbed my arm. "Something's wrong." He said quietly. "It's changed. Neverland was always hauntingly beautiful, but it was wild. Untamed. There are buildings in the trees. What did that message from Pan say again?" I passed it to him and he scanned it, cursing. "He offered the mirror, but made no mention of what lay inside. He's released her."

"Of course he did." I growled, closing my eyes. "Because why WOULDN'T he make this way harder than it had to be. Why can't annoying people just stay still and let me murder them? Do I have to come up with a brilliant plan every time? Like it's nice to play the mad genius, but sometimes I just want to chomp a motherfucker."

Zee giggled. "Yes, woe is you, your enemies won't just come over here so you can fucking eat them. You poor overburdened dragon god. Now appraise that island so we know what we're walking into." Grumbling, I flipped her off, but did as she suggested because it wasn't a bad ideas.

[Appraisal function activated. Treasure detected. Neverland- A rank fantasy realm. An island of unbelievable magical power, Neverland's native magic has been twisted and warped by the Might Behind the Mirror, Tsaritsa, empowering the already saturated island with fantastic and unbelievable things, as well as granting its overlords, Peter Pan and Tsaritsa, an increase in power.]

"Shit!" I snapped, glaring at the island. Everyone shot me concerned looks. "Tsaritsa pulled some weird fairy tale overlap shit and merged her power into Neverland. It juiced up the native magic and she and Pan are bother stronger now. Doesn't say how much, but I suspect they're both firmly in the A rank range now."

Zee, who was staring hard at the treeline, frowned. "Worse than that, it's leeched into the earth and trees. I can overpower the magic as we go, or you can probably, but it'll be a slog. Might be better to just play along. Magic like this always has rules."

"Aye." Said Rumple slowly. "Our mother's power is invested in fables. It warps reality to suit certain stories. I've long since believed it's why she landed in the enchanted forest when banished. Like calls to like."

Hook stepped up, staring into the trees coldly. "Should we dock, or are you planning to head down to the shore from here? I'm still not sure if I'm coming along, since you did hire me."

"Nah." I said with a wave. "Stay out here. Based on the strands of karma, I think the fable magic sweeps up anything that gets too close to shore. I don't want it damaging the Roger before we leave. You're our ticket to a proper ride home. Rumple, Zee, Ruby, and I will be the ones to hit the shore."
His eyes narrowed at my brother, but he nodded. Reaching into my pouch, I turned to Ruby. Speaking of, we need to get you topped up to a more powerful state. I don't want to risk you getting hurt. You'll be with us, so I don't think you'll need to hit A rank, but against anything but Pan or my mother, you should be safe enough at B."

Holding up a shimmering white moonstone, I grinned. This was going to burn one of my royal armaments, but I knew it was worth it. I reached back in and withdrew a pair of boots. The Boots of Beryl were some of the leasy obviously powerful B rank items I had, but they were useful here. Withdrawing a second moonstone, I initiated a pair of merges,

The moonstones were D ranked, and the boots B, but mixing the first moonstone and the boots produced a C ranked stone. One D rank and one C rank object brough Ruby up to C and then B respectively, leaving me with a much empowered werewolf.

[Appraisal function activated. Ruby "Red" Lucas- B Goddess of the Lunar Labyrinth. A deity of supreme lunar might. Ruby embodies the seeking hunter, the wolf in the dark. She finds all weaknesses, tracks all paths. Able to follow any trail and hunt down any prey.

Perfect. As the light faded, Ruby stood mostly unchanged. Her former animal grace remained, but I could see an intensity and a perceptiveness in her gaze that the previous her couldn't match. I smiled. "How do you feel?"

My decision here had been based on a few things. While Ruby didn't have portal power YET, she was still a middling deity. I could add that into the next upgrade, and it had a good foundation because of her pathfinding abilities.

Using the boots with the weaker moonstone lowered their rank, but I'd wanted that weakness seeking and pathfinding attribute mixed into the power of the moon. Ruby was extremely compatible with lunar power, and that would maximize her power in the same rank hopefully, giving me something closer to a dragon tier for tier. When I eventually got her to A rank she would hopefully be nearly as strong as I was.

Her eyes, formerly wolf gold before transforming, shone a metallic hammered copper, singing with lunar power. Those moonstones were gemworld moonstones, and possessed plenty of innate lunar magic. "I feel…" She nearly purred. "Invincible."

"Well, you're not." I said bluntly. "So calm down. Be a good girl and stay with us. If you get lost you SHOULD be able to protect yourself from most things." I was down to three point four billion now, but it was worth it to make sure we went in there with all our people prepared. Plus, I'd had another genius reason for doing what I'd done.

I picked her up, nodding to Zee and Rumple, and spread my wings, beating them once and soaring along the currents towards the beach. I felt a series of karmic strands swirl toward me, and I confirmed I'd been right about the fable magic. It tried to tie itself to me, weaving me into its tapestry, but I just sneered and flicked my claws, shredding the spell before it could find purchase on not just me, but Ruby as well.

Surprisingly, Zee seemed immune, and as the strands approached Rumple, despite not seeing them, he did seem to sense them. He bared his teeth and brandished his dagger, and the strands constricted like they were seizing up, then turned black and wilted away.

Setting Ruby down, I slapped her ass encouragingly. "Alright, NOW you can be an overconfident diva. Find me my mother. Fetch girl!"

She gave me a flat look. "I've never MET your mother. Also, please don't treat me like a dog." She blushed and flicked a look at Rumple. "At least not when I have clothes on." She murmured.

"Damn." I said. "I guess that would make things tough." I mulled it over. "Oh! You met Cora right? Cora came with them, she's probably here too. Can you lead us to her?"

Sighing, she nodded, pouting a bit at how casually I was treating her new power. I pulled her against me for a kiss, nipping at her ear as I whispered. "My poor puppy. Don't worry. Be a good girl and I'll throw you a bone later."

She shuddered at that, eyes falling closed in enjoyment. Then stepped forward. She scented the air, head drifting back and forth before she started to move along the beach. We followed after her, letting her new power do its thing.

"What a fascinating ability." Said Zee as she watched her go. "What are the particulars?" I told her, and she nodded. "Lunar tracking. I wonder if it's some kind of sympathetic magic tied to the inevitability of the tides? Perhaps some sort of trick of conceptual gravity drawing her in. I'll have to perform some tests."

I chuckled. "Non invasive, of course. No playing rough with the puppy." She gave me a flat look and I shrugged. "I know you don't usually, but you're not who you were. You're an archon, more a force of nature than a person. Giving an order to restrain your more alien urges seemed prudent. I'm sure you of all people can understand that."

That was what I liked about Zee. For all her esoteric power, she was essentially a scientist. She loved magic, adored it, and wanted to know all there was to know about it. Even as an archon she had more to learn and understand, and she applied that lens to herself. If I told her to be good, and explained why I thought she might not, she didn't argue, she just considered.

"Agreed." She said finally. "I wouldn't say I'm an alien existence, but then, I'd hardly be in a position to tell. Discretion is the better part of valor in these circumstances. You're right to consider the possibility, and the binding won't impede my research as long as I abide it."

Her voice was solemn and formal, the mode she went into only when she was deep in thought, and I took that as a good sign. Rumple, meanwhile watched us consideringly, clearly confused by the dynamic. Oddly, my earlier lightshow didn't seem to shock him. Rumple did crazy shit with a snap of his fingers all the time, and I was stronger than him. He just assumed that was why he didn't get it.

Despite being a powerful sorcerer, my brother didn't have a heart that was dedicated to magic. It was easy to see what kind of person Rumple was. In the end, he was driven by one thing. Power. He told himself it was for safety, for utility, or for protection, but some people just hated being weak and craved more. Rumple was like that.

I was pretty sure if I gave him a shot, he'd betray me. But the thing was, he wouldn't have a shot. Even Ruby could take him now. It was part of why I'd made her a B-ranker. Rumple himself was one of the things I wanted her to defend us from. As we came to a spot on the beach, Ruby stopped.

"I'm getting…interference." She grimaced. "Like I hit a wall. I think we're going to be leaving some sort of magical domain. Should I go through?"

"One minute." I said, holding up a hand. "I can see some karmic threads weaving through this place. Someone is here. The karma isn't bad, and if they're strong we might be able to use them."

Glancing around, I found the strands of gold, following them down the beach rather than up into the trees where Ruby had indicated. As I got closer, I saw a big ass rock in the sand, and gestured for everyone to stay back as approached.

When I came around the corner, I heard someone whimper. I looked down to see a slim, pretty redhead in a wet dress pull her knees against herself. "Hey." I said holding up my hands and giving her my most charming smile. "You're safe. I don't want to hurt you. I'm Nicky. Can I ask your name?" She didn't respond, just stared at me. I shrugged internally and triggered an appraisal.

[Appraisal function activated. Treasure detected. Ariel- B rank mermaid princess. The daughter of Triton, king of the sea, Ariel possess the inborn magic of mermaids, to travel between the shores of any sea, regardless of realm. Inherently magical creatures, mermaids are prized for their great beauty and magical singing voices, though this one has been twisted by the magic of the Might Behind the Mirror to be mute in exchange for her legs.]

I blinked at her. Ariel. The little mermaid. I shot a look back at the others. Ostensibly portals and travel for messages could be useful, especially until Ruby got her powers. Realistically…I wanted the redheaded mermaid. Sue me. I smiled kindly and offered my hand. "You poor thing, you must be terrified. Come with me, I'll keep you safe."

She stared up at me, eyes wide and adoring, smiling shyly as she took my hand and I pulled her up and into a hug. She clung to me, and I noticed the strands around her weaving among my own. Ariel was looking for a handsome prince, and I think I'd just volunteered for the job. I could handle that.

May 29th 2016 Mysterious Forest, Neverland, 3:00 P.M EDT

Just like Ruby had said, as soon as we stepped through into the forest, the world shifted. The beach behind us vanished, and we were standing in a large forest clearing, with an empty house situated in the center. "Yeah, this is going to get old." I said dryly. I turned to see if the others agreed and found them all staring at me flatly. "What?"

Zee pointed at the redhead still clinging to my arm like an adorable little bunny rabbit. "Really? You're bringing her with us? She seems like an asset to you?"

I reached up to cover Ariel's ears. "She seems." I said with a raised eyebrow. "Like a transformed mermaid princess. We can help her, and then she can help us. Mermaids can apparently travel and bring messages between realms. I've laid the groundwork for Ruby to eventually portal, but that'll be later on down the line. For now I thought she'd like a way to keep in touch with her loved ones."

Ruby's accusatory stare wilted. "I'm sorry." She said with a look of shame. "I assumed the worst. I didn't even consider that you can see details about people even though you mentioned it before. I guess I can get a little jealous."

"No." Zee told her with a smack on the ass. "Bad puppy. All of Nicky's motives are ulterior. And more than half of them are sexual. That girl is soaked down to her nonexistent panties, and he's got a thing about redheads. He's absolutely planning to fuck her."

I recoiled dramatically. "Why I never! I just want to help this beautiful, kindhearted girl. If she's looking for a handsome prince and happens to be interested in me of course I'd welcome her attentions, but I would never take advantage of a soul in need. I am shocked at the accusation, shocked I tell you!"

Zee raised an eyebrow. "Then why is your hand on her thigh?" I looked down. It was, who knew. I removed it casually, though Ariel didn't seem to mind. According to the scenario I was the handsome prince she fell in love with at first sight. I could and was planning to break the binding on her voice, though I couldn't go too far or she'd turn back into a mermaid.

"Irrelevant details." I waved. "We can ask her ourselves in a minute." I looked down at the redhead, removing my hands from her ears. "I'm going to return your voice to you, ok princess?" I said it in a gentle tone, and she nodded up at me adoringly.

Reaching out for the karmic bindings on her, I sliced them neatly with my claws. Snip, snip, snip, and there was a flash of light. She blinked up at me in a daze before squeaking and leaping back. "Oh." She said cutely. "I'm not…I didn't mean to be so forward. I was just confused. I thank you for freeing me from that insidious spell."

Zee snickered. "No comment about him feeling you up?" I heard her muttering about easy redheads, but it was faint enough that Ariel missed it, and I knew she adored Barbie, so it was just teasing. Zee had zero problems with me collecting new girls, especially magical girls she could study.

Ariel blushed darkly. "Well…That is to say, I was quite brazen. I was hanging all over Lord Nicky. That his hands may have landed on some…indelicate parts of my body is hardly a surprise. I choose to focus on his good deed of freeing me."
Ruby, who had gone from guilty, to annoyed, to confused after I'd freed the mermaid, nodded sympathetically. "I'm just glad you're alright. Do you remember what happened? How you got here? He said mermaid princess, are you Ariel?" I started, before remembering that Ruby had spent twenty five plus years on earth where Disney movies existed.

Ariel looked confused. "Do I know you? And yes. I was in the waters around this island, I got washed here by a storm. I had been searching…" She glanced at me, blushing shyly. "Well, that seems silly now. Someone I saw once, but he doesn't seem important anymore. Lord Nicky's kindness has me indebted to you all. I'd be happy to travel with you if you like." She glanced down at her wet clingy dress. "Though perhaps I'd be more trouble than aid."

Her eyes flicked up to me, and I noticed something odd. The thread of her karma connecting us looked…twisted. Not in an evil or bad way, but like another thread had been wrapped around it. A severed thread.

It only took a second for that to click with what she hadn't said. Ariel had never actually met her true love. That was a big thing in this universe, and she'd started the process and then missed the connection. When she met me, the fable magic affecting this place had tried to make ME her prince, and since she didn't actually have one, it had worked.

That was…kind of hot. I stared at her slim curvy body. Apple sized perky tits, nipples hard against the wet dress, thick, soft thighs rounded with disuse on her recently acquired legs, and a pert jiggly ass without too much size, but with an appealing softness. Yes please, I'd take one.

Ruby, to my surprise, seemed pleased. "Well we would love to have you." After confirming the influence of the spell was gone, my puppy didn't mind the idea of me getting another 'true love'. Women confused me sometimes, but usually in the best possible way.

"So, Ruby." I said, sadly forcing us back on topic. "Where is the trail leading now." I pointed opposite where we came in. "There?"

She sniffed, her brow furrowing. "No…" She said slowly. "There." She pointed right next to where we entered. "That can't be right. I was following the trail when we entered, it should be a straight shot."

Zee sighed. "I don't think it's you. The dimensions here have been folded. I can see the magic in the air. The trail is leading us along the path Cora took coming through here, which is undoubtedly quite a bit more roundabout than we'd like. Unless we want to have to go through dozens of these little pocket realms, we need to try to figure out some kind of heading."

I gestured to the cabin. "We could stop and rest there. It looks pretty cozy." I paused, looking closer. "Actually…it looks almost too cozy. Is that made of gingerbread?"

It was. Though it was weird to see. The whole cabin was made of candy, but it was made of very small, meticulously crafted candy pieces. Gingerbread boards, chocolate nails and shingles. You had to look close to even notice.

"Hansel and Gretel." Sighed Zee. "That's a witch's house. You're right, this WILL get old. Maybe we should stay put. We can clear out whoever is in that house, hopefully BEFORE they kill and eat a pair of children. I doubt some random witch will be an issue for any of us." She glanced at Rumple after I nodded, including him in the plan.

He nodded. "If it's the witch I'm thinking of, she won't be a problem. Of course, it may not be. The fables seem insistent that someone fill each role, but not every one of those roles will necessarily be as well cast as Ariel's. Cora may very well have been pulled into another story, and it may make finding her difficult, even with Ruby's tracking abilities."

I sighed. "Let's get through this particular story first. Once we solve it we can settle in to search. We might not need Cora in any case. Ruby can't track her, but Hook mentioned a friend of his on the island. Based on what he said, she mostly has enough experience with magic to avoid getting caught up in this."

Of course, I did NOT mention that friend was Tinkerbell, international fairy sex symbol and top of my list of Disney girls, even higher than Ariel. We had a job to do, but if we could snag a naughty fairy with a tight ass as we went through here…well, three girls wasn't much worse than two.

Forcing myself to breathe, I smashed my willpower into my instincts, battering down the draconic need to hoard. I didn't know why I was so…I paused. Princesses. I remembered how attached I'd gotten to Amy and how quickly. Ariel was a princess too, maybe that was pushing my draconic buttons.

With at least some explanation, I made a mental note to fuck the redhead soon and clear my head. I was definitely going to grab Tinkerbell, but I didn't want walk around in hoarding mode. I remembered how stupid the greed system made me back when I challenged Donna, and it seemed like my new and improved draconic nature was even stronger. So was I, so now that I knew what was going on I could resist, but it would be easier just to get it out of the way.

Annoyed at my current conflicted emotions, I walked up to the door, banging on it directly. "Scuse me!" I called loudly. "This house is made of candy and we're starving. Seriously, we're so hungry we can barely stand. Please let us have some of your food so we don't pass out from hunger helplessly in front of your door."

Everyone looked at me flatly. Even Ariel looked exasperated. Zee pinched the bridge of her nose. "Nicky. Sweetheart. I love you but there's no way anyone is stupid enough to fall for tha-"

She was cut off as the door swing open, revealing a gorgeous olive skinned woman with long dark hair. She stared at us, eyes practically glowing with avarice. "Oh, you poor dears." She cooed, seemingly ignoring the entire conversation we'd just been having. "You'll catch your death out there. Please, come in and warm up."

I gestured to her dryly, raising an eyebrow at Zee who looked poleaxed. Not that she should have been. I'd TOLD her the
island was forcing people to play out roles. Of course, the appraisal told me she wasn't actually a sexy greek looking witch, she was a rabbit, because there weren't a ton of people on this island and the A ranked magic was having to get creative.
Rumple had been right about it forcing some parts, but he'd neglected to consider exactly how extreme it was in some cases. This woman literally had nothing in her head except eating people.

We stepped inside. "Thanks." I said. "We were hoping you would have us for dinner." I didn't even bother being subtle. She was a rabbit brained moron and I didn't feel like wasting time.

Turning to grin darkly at me, her eyes glittered with malice. "I'd like that too." She cooed. "I don't think you can imagine how much. I'm sure you'll be…delicious guests." She was practically drooling. "Come, I'm cooking stew over by the fire, you can check the pot to see if it's to your liking, jest gather round the edges."

I walked over to stand next to it. "This one? This oversized black pot on a huge fire pit that could easily fit several human beings in it if you angled them right?" I asked in a sarcastic voice. Everyone else was just watching in confusion.

"Exactly." She said, almost giggling at her perceived cleverness. I mentally crossed 'bunny girl' off my list of possible acquisitions. Rabbits were fucking idiots. "Now take the lid off and lean over the pot to take a big sniff."

I reached down, lifted the surprisingly heavy (not to me, but just in general) cast iron lid off the pot and leaned out over the contents, taking a big dramatic sniff. The woman blurred forward, cackling with glee…and shrieked in shock as I ducked under her lunge and flipped her over my shoulder into the pot. Slamming the lid back down on it, I held it shut as she screamed for a minute or two and then stopped. I glanced boredly at the others. "Anyone have any issues with how that was handled?" Shockingly, nobody did.
May 29th 2016 Mysterious Forest, Neverland, 8:00 P.M EDT

The rest of the day was mostly an exercise in hurry up and wait. Zee, Rumple, even I tried my hand at studying the native flows of magic, and what we found was NOT comforting. As we'd seen already, the name of the game was fables, storybook characters living out their stories. I'd used the rabbit-witch's story against her, basically fast forwarding through the highlights, but that was where the good news ended.

Neverland was a fucking magical reactor. It was pure untapped power baked into the ground, the trees, magic made manifest. The fable magic my mother had used to tap into that power was complicated and insidious, and the combination was worse than either.

I could probably break it, but I wasn't sure what would happen if I did. This island was made of magic and at a particularly weak point on a dimensional faultline according to Zee. It was how so many kids came here in their dreams.
What was worse was that the fable magic wasn't just freestanding dimensional pockets. It was all one long storybook.
These things needed to be done in order, and if we crashed through too many walls by force we'd collapse the whole thing.
At the end…well, my mother and Rumple's dad SHOULD be caught up in their own game. We finish the storybook, and we beat the villain.

Or that would be how most people would do things. I however, had other options. Zee stood before me, hands spread wide as she manifested a shifting book shaped object before me, a model of the island's current magical layout she'd managed to cobble together by mapping the local leylines.

Staring down at it, I traced my finger across innumerable golden threads crisscrossing the object. "She put a lot of herself into this place." I said slowly as I mapped out the nature of the magic. "Too much, I think. You don't get access to power like this without giving something up. In her case, I think she sunk all of herself into this island in exchange for power."
Rumple nodded. "My father made the same choice. Neverland is a place of unrivalled power, but it has its limits. To be able to twist its purpose in such a way, being stranded here would be a logical penalty. Why does that matter?"

"Because this is all karmic magic, at its core." I said in amusement. "And devouring karma is what I do. Consuming this much power would be ill advised, even for me, but I think I have another plan. She's spinning her web across this island, what if we use it to wrap her up in a bow?" I turned to glance at Ariel. I'd severed her from the magic here, but she was still connected to her fable enough to retain her legs. Looking at Zee, I raised an eyebrow. "How many?" I asked vaguely.

Glancing at the book and worrying her lip, she squinted. "Three should do it. Assuming that would work. You'd have to be careful. Eat too much at once and it would collapse. But if you siphon a steady amount of magic and then channel it back through them, you can slowly replace her magic with yours. Would that be enough to take ownership?"

"Easily." I grinned. "This whole island is her. If I take it, that'll be enough to establish ownership. I mean, we'd have to get rid of Pan first, but Rumple can do that. What about the other two though?"

We were being purposefully vague to prevent our pretty redhead from spooking. It was looking like tonight was going to be Ariel's first experience with a man, because I needed a brand on that pretty bubble butt to pull of the current plan. I needed two more too though.

Three was a magically significant number. Specifically because triangles are very stable shapes. If I could get three access points to the weave here, I could absorb the karmic magic from the island and feed my own back through the stable link. Once enough of my power replaced the active power I'd own the island, and whoever controlled it.

Zee frowned. "Cora would work. If she got sucked into one of the stories like expected she'd be young again. For the last…someone local. Someone with strong ties to the island. I think Hook's friend might do the job." She smirked at me as my face lit up, knowing exactly what I thought of that idea.

Ariel looked confused. "What are you all thinking of trying? It certainly sounds like powerful magic. Maybe I can help."
"I think that's a good idea." I said solemnly. "I think it'll be best to talk it over in private." I looked around the surprisingly spacious candy house. There were several bedrooms leading off the main room with the cooking pot. "Zee, why don't you and Ruby take one of the rooms and get some rest. You too Rumple. I'll tell Ariel the plan."

The redhead blushed a bit, clearly shy about being alone in a bedroom with me, but she didn't seem upset. Just a little confused. Poor little mermaid princess. She was so sweet and innocent. With the ace up my sleeve of needing her for our plan, I knew exactly how to play her like a fiddle. Act a little shy, bravely suggest we do our duty, and I'd have her bent over and hiking up that dress in no time.

Despite being able to feel emotions and genuinely loving several of my girls, I couldn't deny I'd missed this. Talking some
pretty bright eyes thing out of her panties, knowing she wanted it and all I needed to do was give her an excuse. There was nothing quite like it.

Zee rolled her eyes, leading Ruby off to one of the other rooms. Judging by the handful of perky lupine ass I saw her grab, Ruby was going to be put to work just as hard as my new redhead, and I resolved myself to stop in to join if Ariel didn't last as long as I liked. When we got into the room, I shifted my headspace, letting my face crumple, knowing I needed to play this just right.

Ariel was looking at me with adorable concern. "Nicky? Are you alright? You look upset." I turned away from her, putting my hands on the dresser and hanging my head. Roles like this were easier when my face was hidden. I had perfect bodily control, but insurance never hurt.

"I'm sorry." I said hoarsely. "This is just. It's so unfair to you. The kind of magic that we need to get through this. It's…intimate. We need a special connection. I'm ashamed to even bring it up. Asking someone like you to debase yourself like that. You're a princess for the god's sake. I can't say that I'm not…tempted. But that makes it even worse. Knowing what I have to ask of you and knowing I benefit from it."

She looked confused and a little worried. "Debase my-" Her face went red. "Oh. You mean…" She swallowed hard. "That's so fast." She breathed, averting her eyes. "I feel a connection with you, its true. But that sort of thing, so quickly after meeting. Is that really the only way? We need to be…together?"

It was so adorable I almost just picked her up and tossed her perky little ass on the bed. A half hour getting her pussy eaten and I was betting that shyness would be a thing of the past, but I needed to do this the first time. She needed to surrender herself to me, if she didn't walk out of this room with my Brand on her candy ass the acting would have been for nothing.

"I promise I would take care of you after." I said fiercely, turning to look at her with solemn eyes. "I can already tell you're special. I knew it from the moment I met you. I'm not going to abandon you, if you let me in, I'll make sure to connect us together forever. I know its a little backwards, but I'll spend the rest of our lives making sure you don't regret taking a chance on me."

All of which was technically accurate, if VERY misleading. I'd seen her true nature with my appraisal and I wanted that tight little booty from minute one. Plus once she was mine I'd take great care of her. Nobody hurt my girls.

Part of me wanted to fry her brain with Eros and Psych and skip the foreplay, but she was a virgin mermaid princess in 'true love' at first sight. I was pretty sure that the amount of carnal pleasure I could inflict with my skills going all out would shatter her fragile little disney psyche. I'd had to put up with Whisper as a braindead bimbo for months even if some of it had been bullshit, and I'd prefer to avoid doing it again.

There were some good signs though. Ariel hadn't even mentioned not wanting to fuck. She';s questioned if we needed to, she'd asked about alternatives, but those weren't things you did when you were avoiding something. I could feel her desires fine, and her shy little fairy tale princess heart was all aflutter that her handsome prince thought about her that way. I fucking loved this dimension. Love at first sight and bonds of destiny made it like a hundred times easier to get laid.

Blue eyes shimmering with adoration, Ariel nodded soundlessly. "I trust you Nicky. I felt our connection as soon as I saw you too. I've never felt anything like it. I…thought I had, once before, but nothing ever came of it, and I realize now that was nothing compared to what I feel when we're together."

That was really nice actually. I'd have to make sure Amy kept her available after we headed home. Ariel seemed a little spoiled, and I had a feeling she would need lots of affection. She was a princess too, so maybe my wife could make her like…second in command of my girls or something. Keep her busy so she didn't miss me too much.

I stepped forward, leaning down to press my lips against hers. I started the kiss out all pure and shit, but to my surprise, she melted into it pretty quickly. Reaching down, I pulled her up, letting her hop a bit to wrap those soft thighs around my waist as I fell back on the bed. My hands slid further up, cupping her ass, and she gave an adorable squeak of surprise when I started kneading her cheeks.

The squeak turned into a low moan, and I started kissing my way down her jaw, gently sucking her skin through my teeth to leave a mark on that pretty pale skin. "Oh." She said in a tone of happy surprise. "That's…that's so nice. I had no idea that being with a man would feel like this."

My groping of her ass evolved into pawing, sliding the thin dress she was wearing up and slipping back for a second to allow it to come over her head, dropping it to the ground so I could stare down at her naked body.

Pale, perfect skin, gravity defying breasts, light pink nipples and a flat but soft stomache led down to a neatly trimmed pussy. I made a mental note to make sure her next upgrade let her shift back into this exact form, because I could already tell I was going to enjoy the hell out of this.

Deciding to test my earlier theory, I tossed her over my shoulder, eliciting a squeal of shock. "Nicky?" She said in shock and a little hurt. Do you not want to-" She was interrupted by me grabbing her thighs off the bed and pulling them, lifting her ass as I hung her legs over my shoulder. As my head dipped down for a taste, she let hers fall back as she moaned joyfully. "Oh what is THAT?" I had the happy feeling that Ariel was going to be loud in bed. I loved talky girls.

As per usual pat-reon has the advance chapters at that site /malcolmtent and I hope everyone enjoys.