AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHH! I hate Aquamarine so much! She's so annoying with that prim and proper attitude of hers and that stupid, over-powered ribbon-magic-wand-thingy that can stop anyone or anything in their tracks and- ugh! I am going to watch so much Aquamarine hentai!

'Wait, what?'

I said I was going to watch a lot of Aquamarine hentai. Isn't that what you do when there's a character from a show that you really hate and need to get your frustrations out?

'Well, /censored/, yeah! Of course that's what I do! Mostly because the producers won't let me unalive them . . .

That's probably a good thing.

But Creaty, don't you hate Lars, too? Are you gonna watch hentai of him, too?

Um . . . no. Just . . . just no. I thought you, my girlfriend, of all beings in the Omniverse would know that I don't swing that way. For Lars, I'm going to throw him out of Aquamarine's ship from the stratosphere and see how it long it takes for him to go splat! on some unfortunate spot of ground below if he isn't redeemed somehow by the end. After that, I'll probably have Aquamarine eaten by a Vulpimancer . . . at least, that's what I'll do when I write the crossover.

Ooh, sneak peek!

Maybe. I mean, it's not like it's gonna happen any time soon. I'm not even halfway done with this story!

'Speaking of stories . . .'

. . . We're on, aren't we?

'Do you wanna /censored/ to lots of Aquamarine hentai?'

Why do I vent my frustrations out to you of all people?

I'd be more than happy to listen to your problems, Creaty! And maybe do something other things, too . . .

Save it for the lemon one-shots, babe. In the mean time, we should probably answer some reviews, no?

Yay!

ajjr12 – I will not be doing that particular episode as I have plans to introduce Ramona Badwolf in a far more interesting way that is more relevant to the plot I have in mind. This doesn't mean some canon webisodes won't be done however (with their own twist, of course).

I thought we were supposed to forget that script? Forget that curse?

Stop trying to advertise your theme song, babe. Only Deadpool can get away with that because . . . well, because he's Deadpool. Simple as that.

'Exactly! Being me is all the reason you need! Whoo! Cue theme song!'

How about we move on to the next review instead.

'Fine, Mister No Fun, be that way. I'll find a way to play my theme song, one way or another!'

You keep telling yourself that.

starravenwolf – Alrighty! I did some digging around in the notes that Creaty may or may not have and came up with a list of the top five most likely candidates to drop into Ever After next, which may or may not be accurate. He's being oddly secretive about this . . . anyway! They're listed down below!

1. Nefera de Nile

2. Jinafire Long

3. Gigi Grant

4. Twyla Boogeyman

5. Bonita Femur

Now hand over the tea! We had a deal and I have a mallet I'm not afraid to use if I don't get that super yummy hat-tastic Six Realm Wonderland tea and American McGee's Alice: Madness Returns tea set!

Maddie, who are you yelling at and why are my notes all . . . over . . . the . . . place . . .

Um . . .

'That awkward moment when you realize you can't handle the sour . . .'

Maddie . . . did you look at my notes?

Maybe . . .

And did you just reveal something to a reader without my consent?

Probably . . .

My room. Now. We need to have a little . . . talk . . .

*wolf whistle* 'Rrrrrrr! Send me some pictures!

Go eat your infinite burrito, Wade. And while you're at, take Mr. Nibbles out for walkies. Ever since he got that evil you's head to play with he's become much more docile and willing to at least consider listening to us.

*sigh* 'Fine . . . but I'll still find a way to play my theme song!'

How is that even relevant?

Jeptwin – A story I'm quite fond of, eh? Does that ring any bells?

'I wouldn't know. I'm taking the stupid monstrosity out for a walk and you're "punishing" your girlfriend.'

Stop insinuating things!

'I'm not insinuating anything. I'm taking our beloved pet out for a walk while you're insinuating things and screaming your head off like a /censored/.'

Touche, you son of a /censored/, touche.

'Right back at ya, you /censored/.

LegionnaireBlaze – 'How dare you spell the Great and Mighty Deadpool, the Grand Poobah of All Things Awesome and Worthy of Being Awesome's name wrong!? I have none of a mind to declare war on your sorry /censored/!'

I'm pretty sure my life is screwier than yours.

'TO BATTLE! PREPARE YOUR KAMIKAZI TACOS, MEN!'

Yep, definitely screwier than yours.

transformers and star wars fan – I've honestly been toying with the idea for a while. While I have a feeling that leaving Brooke as nothing more than a lover from afar would be unfulfilling, there's a lot of stuff to cover should she gain a physical body. That would mean she would have to give up her narrator abilities and thus this would leave her quite literally as . . . well, as a nobody.

StrongGuy159 – I will without fail!

Isom – 'Are you talking to me?'

Uh, oh, you dissed his movie.

'Are you talking to me?'

You shouldn't have done that!

'Are you talking to me!?'

Now you're in for it!

'My. Movie. Was. AWESOME! AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHH!'

Well then . . . um . . . Lion King reference?

Creaty, why is Wade raving on about taco tanks and burrito bazookas?

I don't know, babe, I don't know. But something tells me we should avoid ordering from Tartarus Bell for a few weeks . . .

Menatron the Angel of Ideas – Unlike Wan Shi Tong, I don't remember or know everything. While I do know who you are referring to that involves and concerns Hopper (Ra only knows how much pain he's going to go through when he first initially tries to get her attention or date her), my mind draws a blank where Daring is concerned (unless it involves a certain canine, consider my mind to be as blank as a sheet of paper).

Malchior the Bad – While that does solve the DNA issue – I now just remember that Anodites have DNA as well, but not in the conventional sense that most of the Omnitrix aliens have – I still stand firm about bring in any other franchise's extraterrestrials into my story and for that, I thank you for understanding. Regarding Ben's dragon . . . he's going to officially actually have two of them (this is subject to change): one of them relies on brains and the other relies on strength, so needless to say I have the dragon issue taken care of.

I don't get why people think that Courtly needs a Jabberwocky or even more power than she already has considering she had the Evil Queen's spellbook – arguably one of the most powerful relics in all the realms – and Ben quite literally has no control over what alien he turns into anymore at this point in time (not that he had much control before, but no he has absolutely none). Besides, with the way I set things up, there won't be a way for Ben to back out of being the technical Prince of Hearts either way. That, and I already have plans for a different sword of sorts to come into play . . .

When I look for OC aliens to include in my stories (of which I already have enough, but the list is subject to change), I look for two things:

Aliens with powers and abilities that I do not yet have.

If an alien does have the same powers and abilities of an already existing alien in the story, they have to use it in a different way than the already existing alien or present a different way of utilizing it. An example would be Frostbite (yeti-like alien, right?): while he has ice powers like Big Chill and Arctiguana, his come from touching things instead of blasting out an icy vapor.

That being said . . . who is Atomfire? I tried to find a picture on Deviantart, but nothing turned up. Besides, if the name is a hint towards anything, his powers and abilities will be similar or all but identical to Atomix and Bonez.

And thanks! I'll admit, looking back, I'm little miffed that Sonic Doom didn't quite come out as I had hoped (one of the clones is a bit off and the other seems to have a problem with her eyes), but regardless I'm happy how the everything else turned out and I'm happy that you like them, too! I chose against drawing Minuette (still working out how to properly spell that) and Tortuga because I wanted to both give a more dynamic feel to the drawings and include some of the secondary transformations that the ghouls unlocked. But seriously, if you have links or a means of posting them, I'd love to see how they turned out!

As for Maddie, keep in mind that there are an infinite amount of dimensions out there within the Omniverse. The Maddie currently acting as my girlfriend and eternal tormentor is a Maddie from another dimension that has never encountered Ben in person and only knows of him as a character/person within my stories/someone I mess around with.

Regarding a set of armor for Ben in Dragon Games, we'll have to see. Speaking of Dragon Games, it's unknown if Jane will participate in them in the first place, much less actually participate as a dragon or dragon-like creature; either way, thanks for that Animo joke. And on a less positive note, the link you attempted to send me doesn't go anywhere or to any video, which is a really irritating part of Fanfiction.

As for Ben signing the book and receiving a new power . . . well, I won't spoil anything, but the chances of that happening are unlikely. Regarding a possible EVO transformation . . . I spoil nothing!

Blazorna Ibara – Deadpool, is there something you'd like to tell me?

'Whatever are you talking about?'

Do the words 'Doorknob Central' and 'Immortal Chimichanga of the Apocalypse' mean anything to you?

Who told you!? I need answers, woman! I mean, uh, I have no idea what you're talking about . . .

*sigh* Look, I ain't got any cash; I'm just an eternal victim of torment and torture. You want any money, take it up with either Deadpool – who has a butt-load of cash off of my anger management problems in an Underworld fight club – or Hades himself. He is the God of Wealth, you know, which means he's pretty much the richest god around. Go bother him for a while, you walking feather duster.

Redrangerlegacy – Not this particular jester, but you're not far off!

masterart – The rest of the harem will all arrive in due time when that time is needed. As for Courtley, she will be joining the harem once she has reformed, but this isn't going to happen for quite some time. She did try to take over an entire realm with dark, forbidden magic, so it's bound to be a very long time before everyone forgives her and Ben starts developing feelings for her (that being said, I can guarantee you that Courtley, Maddie, and Whisp are going to be quite close).

Stretchy-Rat – While I can understand the annoyance that comes with waiting for Ben to technically become a girl – I emphasis this because it's a bit more complicated than you might initially think – please keep in mind that I am waiting for the right time. Fortunately for you all, that should be soon, as in at least one chapter after Way too Wonderland has come to a close; two more chapters in total at the very least, I promise! Now regarding your answers to my riddle . . . I'm sad to say that you only managed to guess one part right, and that is regarding the Evil Queen.

Here's a hint, or rather, another riddle to solve your current one: What is Krampus?

Kittywolf – 'How dare you call me boring!?

Don't you have someone to go brutally assault for daring to insult your movie?

'Oh, yeah. I'M COMIN' FOR YOU, ISOM, YOU SON OF A /CENSORED/!

*Ahem* Yes, well, then. Anyway, you're welcome to try your hand at the riddle if you think you can crack it!

'A penguin will fly and a snail will be fast. The fish will walk and the horse will finish last!'

Translation: Maddie's betting against you.

Yeppers!

Care to prove her wrong?

Jelly Cheese – Yes and no. Yes, as in I am at her mercy whenever she gives me "the puppy eyes" and no, as in I have some sort of control over her in certain things, such as revealing information about the story that she shouldn't. That being said, that doesn't stop her from-

Surprise! *smack!*

. . . slapping me with a fish. And a salmon this time, I might add. A nice change from the usual mackerel or herring.

Shatterhawkwolf – Not sure how you can't see Ben with a dragon from the Stoker-like class, since those are the stereotypical dragons most people think of when asked to describe your standard dragon (four legs, two wings, six limbs in total, long tail and neck, lethal jaws, fiery breath and temper), but I'll respect your opinion. That doesn't mean I haven't taken it into consideration though; believe me, there were certain reasons why I considered giving Ben a dragon from the Stoker or Boulder-like classes, or to be more specific, certain dragons, namely the Monstrous Nightmare (or Gruesome Horror as it is known in EA) and the Whispering Death (or Rattling Ruin as it would have been known in EA).

Shatterhawk – While that isn't to say there won't be an epic mage battle at some point in the future, it's definitely not coming up this chapter. After all, Courtley's just an ameture compared to Charmcaster, Raven, or The-Mother-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named, but that isn't to say the final battle won't be something to look forward to, especially since we seem to be missing a certain transformation for this whole Wonderland-related mess . . . And to be fair, the times that the girls have seen Ben shirtless were usually filled with a distraction of some kind that prevented them from getting a good look at those scars on his back, such as the time Apple got the text message that her parents were coming over and did a perfect imitation of a screaming banshee as a result. But don't worry, those scars won't be forgotten!

ThatChronicKid – Deadpool is . . . otherwise occupied.

'I'M COMIN' FOR YOU, ISOM!'

I don't think 'occupied' is the right word, silly.

You got that right.

DracoAngelus17 – If you say so!

Your sister is creepy as /censored/.

She's not my sister!

Then what exactly is she? A doppleganger? A succubus that just happened to take a similar form? An evil, sex-and-torture-craving android? A diabolical clone? Your long lost and certifiably mentally unstable twin that you never knew about? A mutant cheese that just happens to look like a more twisted and frightening version of you?

Um . . .

'Just think happy thoughts, kid! Happy thoughts!'

For once, I'd suggest you follow Wade's advice. Without a location we can't find you and come to your rescue or send you a potential weapon to defeat Dementia – believe me, we have a whole armory of planet-shattering weaponry at our disposal – so until then, staying positive is your best option. On a side note . . . I hope your ready for fatherhood. Because something tells me Dementia ain't gonna let you go until she's a soon-to-be mommy.

Now that's one baby shower I will never attend!

You and me both, babe.

'I'll play my theme song at your funeral!'

Once again, how is that relevant to the current situation?

'Wouldn't you like to know?'

Yes, yes I would. And don't you have taco tanks to be working on?

'To the taco tanks!'

Hvulpes2. 0 – While that is somewhat true, keep in mind that Grimm is a stickler for details. Since Rosabella is a princess and the Daughter of Beauty and the Beast from the story of the same name, he's adamant that it be Dexter and Rosabella that get together now that the identity of the Beast has been revealed. He's basically a mule when it comes to this point and it's only when things such as True Love intervene – essentially cosmic trump cards in a sense – does he back down; notice how he was dead set on getting rid of Ben before it was revealed he had a destiny to fulfill and now he's more focused on making sure Ben doesn't "ruin" other fairy tales with his presence.

infadinityfollower – Thank you!

DRAGONDAVE45 – We unfortunately can not keep that promise!

What Maddie means to say is that things tend to get a little . . . hectic around here, to put it lightly. That being said, I'm still on the fence of whether or not I should give Courtly any minions to summon in the final battle, since Ben is hindered enough as it is and will most likely be forced to fight off two potential threats at once. Besides, as powerful as the Jabberwockies are, they're . . . well, you'll just have to see for yourself! And I will indeed check the story out (or will have? Time travel is so confusing) to see what possibilities there may be.

Unknown – I can promise you that the lemon that features Toralei as the main ghoul is going to be particularly spicy and something tells me that Wyndowna is into gangbangs because she has the multiple hands going for her. That being said, there are plans for a Parent's Day chapter when all the parents come to visit (this will be quite soon, since the Wonderland portals will be open again and I'm pretty sure the parents from Wonderland will want to catch up with friends and be reunited with this children) when Persephone finally manages to track down Ben. After all, she and Cupid are technically related (Cupid's like her great niece or something. Olympian family trees are really weird) and if Cupid can travel to Ever After High, so can Persephone! And perhaps a certain God of the Underworld, too . . .

Seeing as I already have a mountain of requests currently piling up – including plans to draw my interpretation of an Omnitrix Sotoraggian – this probably won't happen for some time. And yes, when the final chapter and epilogue is posted, I do plan to create profiles/descriptions of each of Ben's children for those that are interested. As for Shadow Ben, I have no plans to implement him simply because he's everything that Albedo is and everything Whisp was. As for the Plumbers using the Esoterica's extra dimensional technology, that wouldn't work since it would only allow them to pass between their dimension and Diagon's, whatever became of it.

And before you say they could reprogram it, none of the ghouls have a Galvan or Cerebrocrustacean form (Clawdeen does, but she's in Ever After), and they have Blukic and Dribas their Tech Support. Even with Cooper and Elle helping, it would take months to crack the complexity.

lucabrasi138 – Did you get any of that?

Nope!

'Nada!'

*SCREEEEEEEEEEEECAAAAAAAWWWWW!*

Oh, be quiet, Mr. Nibbles.

Mephistopheles – I think you might have something in common with one Alsmiffy from Hat Films' Skyblock series, in which he himself proclaimed to be the Mad King . . . then again, he had isolated himself in the nether with nothing to eat but an endless supply of mushroom stew so and didn't have multiple personalities all crammed into one body, so . . .

Aw, you really think we're the best? Thank you! That means a lot coming from funny little schoodle-brain like you!

'Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up! Nobody is madder than me! NOBODY!'

Don't you have someone to wreck horrible vengeance upon?

MadamStar – To be honest, your English isn't that bad; I hardly notice any mistakes you might claim to make. Anyway, I already sent you a message – not sure if you got it or not – but I never did say that Courtley wouldn't be in the harem; if you're referring to the list on my profile, that is still subject to change, despite how many girls that are already in the harem are on there. As for my favorite version of Alice in Wonderland, I'm still partial to the first animated feature of the film that Disney made – mostly out of nostalgia – but I also like the 2010 film (as well as the Alice x Mirana pairing that some authors, namely NamelessSaint so relentlessly ship together).

And believe me, you eventually get use to characters breaking the fourth wall.

Like me!

'And me!'

Shouldn't be out killing a certain someone?

'It takes a lot of time to prepare, alright!?'

The Brod Road – You had it coming and you know it!

Easy now, easy with the hammer, babe! Now then, did I seriously forget to reply your review last time? If I did, my deepest apologies; I shall try to cover both of your messages as best as I can. Now while you're right about the rabbit hole taking them all to the wrong place – this actually happens in canon – you would be incorrect about them traveling through different universes and dimensions or encountering Paradox because the former is entirely unnecessary and the later is not scheduled to appear until much, much, much later . . . if at all.

I think it would be rather difficult to fire Daring . . . at least, without the presence of a cannon.

While I can confirm that Headmaster Grimm is going to attempt to try and 'correct' his wayward students, I can not confirm whether or not he is behind the current confusion concerning Cupid and Dexter (gotta go for that alliteration, even in the comments). That being said, we'll have to see what kind of references end up being made as the story progresses; after all, almost anything can happen in a Wonderland far, far, far, far away.

'TOO. MANY. PUNS!'

Aaaaaaaaaaaand, Wade's even further over the edge than he was before. Nice. And don't worry, I fully intend to respond to your messages on Deviantart within the coming week. Remember, patience is a virtue, young grasshopper.

'You know what's also a virtue? Let Deadpool play his theme song before he gets cranky!'

That's not a virtue.

'Says you!'

Darkness Rissing – While someone did make a deal with him, it certainly wasn't to sabotage Dexter and Cupid's date. After all, he showed up before Cupid entered the scene, thus making it a false attempt to sabotage Dexter and Rosabella's date (not that he succeeded because that's not what he was suppose to do). And while I will say here and now that Jane will not be nude when the Nemetrix times out, I can not say they will land right in the middle of the Queen of Heart's birthday party; while I have heard some complaints that Jane and Venus take up too much screen time (what can I say, they're two of my favorite ghouls), they play a much smaller role in this chapter that doesn't really have much effect on the plot, but it was imperative that at least Jane end up in Wonderland for . . . reasons that will eventually reveal themselves by the end of the chapter.

Truth be told, I'm not sure whether Chase was actually an official accomplice to Courtley's plan. It's been speculated that the Red Queen – Chase's adopted mother – was in on Courtley's scheme, but there's been no official statement. Thus, Chase is an innocent accomplice who was tricked into obeying his code of honor and boss' commands without knowing the full extent of the outcome; as far as he knows, Ben and the others are nothing more than a group of students who were invited to the Queen of Heart's birthday party and didn't receive a statement that they didn't have to attend school.

That being said, I doubt the Queen of Hearts will be fond of Chase for many weeks to come.

maverickmoxey2000 – The reason I didn't list Skelita is because she has much more control than some of the other ghouls when it comes to being away from their boyfriend for too long. Granted, she doesn't like it anymore than they do, but she's far less likely to try and sneak a few moments here and there.

While I can agree that the rules are sound enough – that's what I was initially going for – I'm going to have to decline on that being when Ben 'chooses' to become submissive . . . at least for the alien choice. While I can get behind the big gun aliens like Four Arms and Humungousaur becoming more submissive around a certain time of the year, Blitzwolfer is definitely out of the question solely because that would make Ben little more than a pet dog, the exact same thing that Kai wanted him to be when they first met; it's only for that reason that Blitzwolfer won't be an option. Four Arms or Humungousaur would be the most likely candidates because as female Tetramands get more aggressive – as per Avea's lemon chapter – the males become more submissive and in most cases involving dinosaurs – at least in theropods – the females are always bigger, like today's birds of prey.

While I can agree that Superman x Wonderwoman would be the most likely couple for someone who has never watched the JL/U show, Batman x Wonderwoman is much more entertaining, the reason being because, as you said, it's so generic and cliché to have the Man of Steel and Amazon Princess become a couple. The Dark Knight however, offers something much more appealing, especially when we see how Diana manages to chip away at his sleek, black exterior piece by piece (such as the episode where she got turned into a pig by Circe and Batman willingly sang to change her back. Too bad they weren't official by the time the events of Batman Beyond rolled around.

I think the main reason people like Dexter x Cupid as an OTP couple is because they either want to give our favorite love goddess a happy ending instead of being woefully single forever or they need to pair Dexter with someone else because Apple x Raven is so much better and fun; even Raven's voice actor went on record saying she ships her character and Apple together. And if the majority of the highest rated stories for EAH being Apple x Raven pairings isn't enough to convince you, I don't know what will.

The main reason I like Moana better than Frozen, other than the fact that the main character princess isn't married in the end to some total stranger, is that the songs are actually quite enjoyable and don't grate your nerves for months on end after you've seen it in theaters; that and I prefer tropical settings to frozen wasteland. And if that weren't enough, Maui is both an appealing character – even though you might find him annoying at the beginning of the movie – and his tattoo 'Mini Maui' was animated by Eric Goldburg, the same animator who made none other than the Genie from Aladdin. Fortunately for the movie, Mini Maui didn't steal the spotlight (that isn't to say Aladdin wasn't good, it's just that everybody only really remembers it because of the Genie's presence).

Agreed. That being said, which do you think is more impressive to be dating? A goddess or a genie? Both are essentially the same power and weakness wise: both are immortal, possess incredible power and both are bound by some rule or other, with genies being the number of wishes and gods and goddesses being ancient laws of sorts that prevent them from doing certain things.

Believe it or not, you aren't far off when you said you waiting for one of them to blow their top, at least until towards the end of the chapter. And technically speaking, Lizzie hasn't gotten her '10-time', as you call it. They're still friends at this point, albeit ones that are starting to realize they may have affections for one another, but are nonetheless still close friends at this point, maybe even the equivalent of surrogate siblings (though nothing like Ben and Ghoulia's relationship). Other than that however, you're mostly on the ball; you just forgot Apple and Cerise, if memory serves right.

And yes, Courtly's is kinky by Wonderland standards, but she's mostly just insane and mischievous. Maybe even more so than Whisp.

Wonderland before it's unification was pretty much like that, which is what forced the Wonderlandians to evolve as they did. The way I see it, the human population of Wonderland rose from prisoners and criminals that were banished to Wonderland by various kingdoms from Ever After – they initially had no idea what was on the other side, similar to the Phantom Zone when it was first discovered – that devolved into ruthless and blood thirsty, nomadic, warring tribes that fought over any and all resources with one another when the local wildlife wasn't an immediate threat; the most vicious of these was the Hearts clan, a group of warriors who had a habit of decapitating all of their foes and prisoners and tearing out their hearts so that they may bathe in the blood in the belief that they grew stronger with every heart whose blood they soaked in, hence their name. It wasn't until forces from Ever After eventually invaded Wonderland that the tribes banded together to fight and it wasn't until the Great Dragon that threatened all of the fairy tale realms did they bring their senseless war to an end and create the Storybook of Legends.

To be fair, there are those predators that specialize in killing only one type of prey or those cases where on isolated islands there is either only one predator or one apex predator, like the Komodo islands where Komodo dragons are arguably the only predators worth noting due to the fact that they practically eat anything, even other Komodo dragons. In fact, scientists are pretty sure that they once feasted upon a species of dwarf elephant that lived on the island before they went extinct and they began hunting feral water buffalo, boars, and goats.

I remember that lore. I'm not sure why they chose to get rid of it since it was, in my opinion a pretty good idea that tied a lot of the champions and characters together and made you feel as if the matches you were playing would actually decide the fate of an entire world. One of these cases was in the famous "Noxus vs. Ionia" match in which the two nations were pitted against each other by a pair of professional teams; the prize was that their respective nation would be the canon winner of the war and they would get an item in the game named after them. Long story short, Ionia was victorious and had a pair of boots named after the nation as a result.

That being said, the lack of a League of Legends and Institute of War does allow for some interesting stories and lores to be written. I'm not sure if the new Piltover and Zaun would even be possible if the Institute was dissolved, though there might have been a way to integrate both.

Either way, I have been getting your messages and I fully intend to respond to each of them in the coming week. Just as soon as I can feel my fingers again.

SSJR Goku Black – I don't know what constitutes as a short chapter you, my friend, but the last chapter numbered some 71 pages on my word processor. Hell, the first chapter of Way too Wonderland was approximately 101 pages total.

Indominus – Wait no longer!

Da999 – Can do!

luciayshadow – I would readily kneel before Rebecca Sugar if it meant more Steven Universe episodes came out faster. Then again, I suppose the long wait ensures that each episode will be the best it can be.

That being said, I have seen Moana and while I still like Zootopia better, I much prefer Moana to Frozen . . . mostly because the songs don't make me regret seeing the movie in the first place (and I only say that because Frozen is everywhere and there doesn't seem to be any restraining it). I liked Brave as well; in fact, I'm pretty sure Pixar was the first to do a Disney princess movie where the girl doesn't get a prince at the end, and yet does it get any credit? Of course it doesn't because Merida didn't sing. Typical.

There's only one girl that I could actually say that to without getting punched in the gonads, and that was my girlfriend back in my previous lifetime, and even then I only said it whenever she was having a rough time and was trying to figure out what was wrong with her. That being said, Cerise's feelings for Raven will be revealed soon enough, just as soon as Raven begins to wonder whether or not she has feelings for Cerise as well. It's the stereotypical 'will they, won't they?' scenario and I guarantee it will be resolved before Sombra tears her hair out . . . I hope . . .

You'll have to be a bit more specific to the Spongebob and Great Scarrier Reef reference as I sometimes write stuff without realizing who or what I'm referencing, if anyone, and I haven't seen Great Scarier Reef yet. And yes, Venus and Jane have ended up in Wonderland, though their impact is significantly reduced because there's only one reason why they're in Wonderland in the first place; as for what that reason is, well, you'll just have to see, heh-heh-heh . . .

And as per requested, a certain someone has uttered a certain line in a certain part of this chapter for your amusement ;)

benalien100 – 'My, my, what have we here? A reviewer with an even bigger mouth than me! Do you know that means? It means I can't allow you live!'

Alright, that's enough Wade. Don't you have another reviewer to get revenge on and another that you're declaring war against with militarized Mexican food?

'Right! I mustn't be distracted! Tally-ho!'

Sorry about that. Wade just tends to-

'But that doesn't mean I've forgotten about you! We shall meet again, this I vow!'

. . . Anyway, I'm sorry to say that a vast majority of your ideas are either poor in nature or aren't what I'm looking for. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed reading them and there were a few in there that definitely got me thinking about things, but ideas such as Aggregor just suddenly up and appearing with no warning whatsoever and as an executioner of all things or throwing Lord Transyl – who as far as I'm concerned is dead after being in that coffin in space facing the sun for so long – or Vilgax randomly appearing at Parents Day with no build up to it makes absolutely no sense; this is the equivalent of Tony Stark finding out that he's somehow related to every single one of the Avengers with absolutely no explanation or suspense. It just doesn't work.

Let me compare what you're asking for to Gravity Falls. In Gravity Falls, the entire show revolves around dropping hints and clues so that the audience can feel like they're getting in on the mystery. For example, Bill Cipher was hinted at multiple times in previous episodes before he finally made his debut and even then we continued to get more and more subtle hints towards what was in the coming seasons. In comparison, your ideas have none of that. The villains – some of which have no relevancy to the plot whatsoever – just up and suddenly appear with no explanation as to how they got there or why they are there in the first place.

Another thing that doesn't work is Briar up and suddenly having feelings for Ben. I know I sometimes did this back in my previous story and believe me, I aim to make things a bit more realistic relationship-wise back there, but again, there's no build up to it at all. This would be like Black Widow randomly falling head over heels in love with the Hulk with no explanation offered; it's too spontaneous. That being said, I do plan to get Ben and Briar together (but under different and arguably more interesting circumstances), their first date will be skydiving, and Apple will rest assured be very uncomfortable with the idea of her best friend forever after dating her boyfriend.

Finally . . . Shadow Ben. I'll admit, the concept is interesting but there are several flaws with it. For one, he is way too powerful, having abilities and powers that don't even pertain to him or what he is. If he is meant to be Ben;s shadow, he should have the same powers as Ben. On top of that, Vilgax is Ben's arch nemesis and will forever and always will be, no contest; he may not have been the most powerful, in contrast to Diagon (at least until he absorbed Diagon), but he is nonetheless meant to be Ben's arch nemesis until one of them kills the other.

Secondly, the whole concept of Ben having another evil counterpart of him is just . . . no. Just . . . just no. Albedo already fits that role, as well as multiple alternate dimensional counterparts of him; a shadow version is unnecessary.

Thirdly, he has a relationship with the Evil Queen. Now granted, this is something I admittedly find intriguing and would definitely take advantage of in the upcoming EAH one-shot and lemon series, but I had sworn to myself that Ben would not have any MILFs in his harem. Now before you argue that Snow White IV seems to be infatuated with Ben, let me stop you right there and remind you that – while she admits that he is attractive and an ideal suitor – her constant teasing of her daughter is more of a prompt for Apple to stay with Ben and try to better herself; she doesn't want her daughter to be like her because, contrary to where she is now, she is every bit Rebel as much as she is Royal.

Now as I said before, there were a fair number of your ideas that I liked and plan to utilize, mainly your Parents Day idea (which, let me say again, has been confirmed to be written quite soon). Now, while I don't plan to have Ben threaten the Evil Queen's life – as he doesn't know the full extent of her evil. He doesn't know the full story behind Raven's scars yet, which is when he really hates the Evil Queen. And yes, that does mean that Raven will eventually reveal her scars to Ben when she feels that the time is right – I do like the idea of Hades talking to the Evil Queen or at least acknowledging the fact that she's most likely watching them (albeit to himself). Another idea I like is the addition of Poppy, Darling, Ginger, Faybelle, Courtly, and Isi to the harem, mostly because I already had that planned in the first place.

That being said, Blondie is the one girl that I'm still on the fence about because, unlike a majority of the other girls that are a part of or are scheduled to join Ben's harem, Blondie offers little to nothing that isn't already there. She's a reporter, right? Well, guess what, so is Spectra. She can get into locked spaces and other places that most other fairy tales can't? So can Spectra again. Basically, Blondie is Spectra's Ever After High counterpart in every sense of the word and as such offers nothing new to the harem.

Plus, I can't have all the girls fall for Ben. While Blondie does think that he is handsome and attractive, she doesn't really think Ben's her type of man, even though he seems to be a universal bloodtype of sorts when it comes to the opposite sex. Again, I'm still on the fence when it comes to Blondie, but the odds are that she will most likely not be making out with Ben anytime soon.

Your suggestion for Boo York is something else that I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline. While I do have plans to implement Astranova into the story and an eventual relationship with Ben – albeit through completely different circumstances – Boo York is not among them at all.

As for Vilgax and Malware, they aren't scheduled and never will be scheduled for this story because A) Malware is officially defeated/doesn't offer anything new to the story that another villain can't do (plus I'm going for more of a fairy tale theme to this one, hence the presence of the Forever Knights) and B) Vilgax was already the main villain in a story Xover I'm currently writing with Blazorna Ibara. It basically takes his story, The Troubles of a Misplaced Hero, and We Are Monsters and mashes it all together into one crazy Xover event, of which Vilgax is the main villain of. If you haven't read it yet, the first two chapters are already posted and the third and final chapter is in production as we speak (read).

Regarding your OC . . . how about no? Seriously, this is OP as fuck (pardon my French) and he's not even a Celestialsapien. He might make a cameo as an actual Tetramand with actual Tetramand powers, but that's about it.

Finally, this is not one of those stories where Ben becomes Super Saiyan. Period.

On a closing note . . . would it be possible for you make an account to PM me a majority of these questions and suggestions? I'd rather not have my reviews spammed with this kind of thing instead of actual reviews. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy them nonetheless, but you've sent how many?

'Are we done here?'

Taco tanks, remember?

'Oh, yeah! Viva la revolution!'

I don't think that really pertains-

Just drop it, babe. At least the more distracted he is, the more peace and quiet we have . . . and the more alone time there is for us . . .

Oh, Creaty, you're such a charmer!

Aw, you're making me blush . . . you probably tell 'cause, well, I'm already red . . . but that's beside the point! As always, comment, review, suggest, and request down below!

Onward!

NOTICE

Let it be known that I, Creaturemaster, am acquainted with Morantis and we have relied on one another to help further the development of our stories in the past (me relying on them more often than the other way around, actually). That does not mean however, that I am in constant communication with them and that I know where they go or what they do when they vanish for long periods of time. That being said, those of you who are fans of of both our works or simply ask me if they know what's taking so long for Morantis to update . . . for lack of a better term, keep your panties on!

As authors, we strive to give you the best quality we can possibly muster and as much as it may bother some of you, this is why updates are so few and far in between with us. We all know you eagerly (and perhaps a tad too impatiently) await the next chapter of some thrilling and riveting epic that we've spent weeks, perhaps even months or years hyping up, but please keep in mind that as authors, we adore you. We want to make sure that whatever we post we'll be happy with and in turn, you'll be happy with as well.

For example, lets say that for the final episode of Samurai Jack theoretically ends with Jack suddenly waking up from nearly half a century of being in a coma and finds out that everything that he went through – all the pain, the sorrow, the joy, the happiness, all the enemies and friends that he made and gave hope to – was nothing more than just a figment of his imagination. He's not some lost prince to an emperor or some samurai wielding a magic sword against a shape-shifting demon that's sent him centuries into the future. He's just an average guy – an average guy named Jack – who is in no way special and is so ordinary and average that the only unique thing about him is that no one can remember his name. Unable to cope with this harsh reality, he commits suicide in the hopes of somehow being reunited with the world in his dreams.

How would you like it if that was the end to the epic saga of Samurai Jack, a series that received universal acclaim before it was tragically canceled and then revived nearly a decade later, only to receive what might conceivably be the worst ending ever? Thankfully, this did not happen, and you want to know why? Because Tartakovsky cared about what some would call his master piece and he cared about his fans enough to give them an ending that he was satisfied with and knew that they would be satisfied with. Likewise, we want to ensure that every chapter we post has the chance to be better than the last one because we have improved as writers and want to reward you readers and fans alike for giving us this chance.

Beyond that, we also have lives outside of Fanfiction. It may come as a complete surprise to some, but I am not actually an undead Tetramand residing in the depths of the Underworld to be eternally tormented for some sin of unknown origin. I am in fact a regular teenager who has graduated high school, needs to get their driver's license, has a time consuming job at your local fastfood chain, and must attend college in the fall so that they may graduate once again and live their life how they so chose while making a living and paying off the immense debts I have accumulated during my college career. That doesn't sound like I have a lot of time on my hands, right?

The same is with Morantis. We share an audience and they are fully aware that you're getting impatient with their lack of updates. But please understand that they are only trying to give you the best quality work they can while simultaneously balancing everything their life outside of Fanfiction throws at them.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled program . . .

". . . and then he starts singing! Singing! In a public restaurant!"

"Oh, my Wand!" Cupid gasped with astonishment.

"It gets worse." Dexter groaned while he tiredly pinched his brow. "He doesn't just start singing in a public restaurant. He starts singing a love song in a public restaurant! In front of everybody! And off-key, too!"

The love goddess had to resist the urge to burst out laughing for fear of passing out from lack of oxygen. "Oh, my Grimm!"

"And that's not the worst of it," Dexter couldn't help but chuckle at the sheer ridiculousness of the events. "He's walking all around like he owns the place and is the greatest thing since sliced fairy bread! And the dancing . . . oh, my Fairy Godmother, the dancing! It was the biggest fairy-fail I've ever seen, even worse than the time Daring tried to ride a pegasus bareback for the first time!"

The Son of Prince Charming felt much better after being able to blow off some steam and vent out his troubles to someone he knew would listen to his every word. Most of the time, people tended to either zone out of even doze off while he was talking or got excited about something that he cared about; even Raven had once accidentally fallen asleep when he had tried to explain the inner workings of a Mirrorphone to her, and that had been what he considered the 'simplified' version. Cupid however, was someone that he could talk to about almost anything – even stuff he knew for a fact that she would never understand as well as he did – and she would listen to him with such attentiveness that he could swear that the young deity just liked to listen to the sound of his voice.

For some reason that he couldn't quite place his finger on . . . it was nice to have someone who actually liked to hear him talk.

And when the Daughter of Eros laughed at his recount of his day's shenanigans he found that he loved listening to the way she laughed at his jokes and his witty sarcasm. To him it sounded like a hundred wind chimes ringing in the breeze and filling the air with their sweet melodies; it filled him with a sense of calmness that he had never felt before. Sure, he had heard Cupid laugh numerous times, but now it was just her and him, without anyone else around to talk over her beautiful voice and he had never felt so relaxed in his life.

"I've heard of getting a monster case of the munchies, but this is ridiculous!"

"Pixie dust! I accidentally used too many crab apples and deviled eggs! GAH! Stay back, you little munchkins!"

"Man your stations! Prepare to be boarded! Don't fire until you see the white of their eyes!"

"Te estás divirtiendo mucho con esto."

The tremendous clattering of pots and pans and cookery rang loudly throughout the Hocus Latte Cafe, instantly setting Dexter's nerves on edge from the sudden noise. The sounds of ataxia only became more chaotic and more varied as the harrowing seconds came on, ranging from what might have been mixing bowls shattering against the floor to utensils and cutlery being used in a manner of weaponry. A consistent squelching undertone only pierced by the sound of wet bellows and rumbling accompanied the constant cacophy of chaos coming from the kitchen.

Dexter swallowed tensely and tightly curled his knuckles. "Wh-What's happening?"

Cupid bit her lip, already greatly considered by how pale the prince's face had turned and how strained his breathing had become. "I'm not sure," her voice was laced with concern as she scooted herself to the end of the booth and leaned out to call toward the kitchen doors. "Is everything alright back there?" she called.

"Si! Everything is fine! Do not worry!" Skelita reassured her from out of sight.

The sound of a cackling genie's voice however, was less than encouraging. "It's so big! And squishy! It's big and squishy and malleable! Why is it so big and squishy!? The only things that should be big and squishy are Nefera's-"

The love goddess cringed when the sounds of pandemonium only increased in volume and cut off whatever the genie was about to say. Her teeth anxiously gnawed at her bottom lip when she noticed the way Dexter was tightly gripping the table with the pastiest knuckles she had ever seen in her time as a deity; even her bone white skin paled in comparison. She took immediate note of how Dexter was clenching his teeth as if he were in the most unbearable pain and was doing everything in his power to keep from crying out in anguish. His stunning, baby blue eyes were squeezed shut with such force that Cupid feared he might blow a blood vessel if he didn't stop.

"Dexter . . . what's wrong?" she asked worriedly.

To say the Son of Prince Charming looked terrified when confronted with that question was an understatement. "I-It's him . . . he's starting to freak out . . ." his voice was dry as he tried to keep his composure.

He was mentally berating himself for letting his discomfort slip and allowing his alter ego to get this far in taking over. The young prince couldn't believe he had managed to keep himself together this long given how many unusual and incredibly stressful things seemed to happen around Ever After High on a regular basis, with or without Ben's presence adding to the madness. He had taken multiple precautionary measures to ensure that his monstrous counterpart had a less than likely chance of coming out the moment he had gathered up enough courage to venture out of his room after the events of his first rampage; he quit the bookball team, avoided going to any of his classes that involved strenuous, physical activity, and directed Blondie through the lengthy process of filming and editting her broadcasts via Mirrorchat and hexts from the safety of his dorm; even then, the distrustful whispers and continued to follow him like a gang of gruesome ghosts.

As if that weren't disappointing enough, his efforts proved minimal at best. Day and night he struggled to maintain control over his body that his doppelganger so desperately fought for and after a good number of weeks he was beginning to feel the fatigue, try as he might try to hide it. Every time he so much as dozed off he was left vulnerable and thus he had programmed his Mirrorphone to wake him up every half hour or so with the loudest music he could find to ensure that his alter ego didn't gain the upperhand; Hunter Huntsman however, had as of yet to appreciate Dexter's methods.

He wasn't sure if that fully explained the strangely fresh scars that marred the huntsman's body though.

Stress and intense emotions was what gave the Beast enough leverage to break free of the mental prison Dexter had imprisoned him/it in – he wasn't sure how to address his de trop doppleganger. He couldn't fathom how or if anyone else lived with such a bizarre and frightening condition as an alternate personality in their head that could theoretically take control if he so much as let his grip slip just the slightest. It left more questions unsolved than answered and only created more confusing and controversal queries instead of getting rid of them; did the Beast exist because of him or did he exist because of the Beast? Could one live without the other? Who was the original personality and who was a tumor that was better left forgotten?

The café gave a low rumble, shaking dust and debris from the rafters in response to a thundrous, gutteral roar. The silverware and glasses of complimentary iced water on their table rattled and clincked ominous when the building trembled a second time, followed by a chorus of other chaotic cacophonies that sounded unusually similar to that of screaming. Dexter hoped to the ancestors above that it was only by sheer coincidence while he tried to keep his breathing steady and his heart rate low.

"Gaaah! Agh!" the young prince suddenly cried out when his arm spasmed uncontrollably. A series of horrifically painful-sounding cracks and snaps came from his biceps as the bones shifted and nearly tripled, quadrupled in size in a series of short, destructive bursts that made Dexter grit his teeth with every convulsion. His heart was in his throat when his skin started to horrible itch and coarse, shaggy hair began to grow like weeds all along his arm, coating it in a forest of fur. His fingers twitched violently before wicked claws erupted from his fingernails and slammed into the tabletop, leaving deep gouges in their wake as the prince desperately gripped his shaking wrist.

The Son of Prince Charming was dimmly aware that Cupid had jumped across the table and was tightly gripping his shoulders with white knuckles. "Dexter, stay with me! Fight him! You need to fight him!"

He needed to concentrate his chaotic thoughts, to find an anchor that he could use to himself down in the swirling mess that was his mind. He tried to focus on the memories of his family, of his parents, of his older brother, of his twin sister, but that did little to absolutely nothing when his inner monster reminded him of all the negative things that they had done to him; everytime Daring had shown him up in every competition or game they played in; how his mother and father had doted upon his older brother and sister while generally ignoring him; the time his own father had asked him to throw a jousting contest so that Daring would emerge the victor and win their family an increase in their fortune.

"Dexter! You can do it! I believe in you! You need to fight him!"

The young prince could feel his body continue to warp from the negative emotions coursing through him like a vile venom, twisting his form to become more and more powerful and monstrous; thoughts of his family clearly weren't going to help him. With little other option, he instead chose to focus on the sound of Cupid's voice and the memories it brought to him; he remembered when they had first met; how she had been the first girl to treat him like an actual person; the long conversations they would have where they could express just about anything to one another in complete confidance; how she had thoughtlessly helped him try to win over Raven's heart.

The monster that lurked within him attempted to recall all of the negative memories he had with the Daughter of Eros, such as the moment when he realized that his crush no longer shared feelings for him and had fallen for someone completely out of left field. He remembered how hurt and upset he had been when he had nearly succeeded in finding happiness only to have it snatched away from it at the last second. He had been so devastated that he had jumped to conclusions and let anger cloud his judgement to the point where he had taken out his frustrations on the one constant in his life that had always been there to pick him up when he fell down.

Unfortunately for the monster inside of him, the positive memories of Chariclo Arganthone Cupid far outweighed the few negative thoughts he had about her. Dexter found his ragged breathing slowly starting to labor, his involuntary convulsions become less frequent, and his imposing figure began to dwindle and shrink with every passing second the beast within became more and more reluctant to fight for control. His powerful, crushing hands shriveled up like weeds in the hot sun and his fingers resumed their more dexterous form under Cupid's calming caress; eventually, the savage monster within his psyche had been passified and Dexter opened with his eyes with a sigh of relief.

"Is . . . is he gone?" Cupid asked after a few moments.

The young prince nodded, panting breathless when he gave the young deity a smile. "Yeah. He's gone . . . for now . . ." his tone drifted off into depression as he rested his head on the table and pulled his arms around him, as if to shut out the world around him so that he could be alone with his thoughts while he mentally berated himself for coming so close to losing it. He was only vaugely aware of Cupid's lithe arms wrapping themselves around him in a comforting embrace and her head resting upon his shoulder, as if to reassure him that things were starting to look up. He didn't have that much belief at this point – not yet anyway – but he more than welcomed the warm sensation that bubbled forth from the pit of his stomach at her soothing touch.

Dexter still couldn't understand why he seemed to become so calm when around Cupid because he was never this relaxed when around any of his other friends; even Raven hadn't made him feel this relaxed on the few dates they had. It were as if nothing could possibly go wrong for him when she was around, as if the world had suddenly come into focus like he had been wearing the wrong glasses his entire life. He couldn't be falling for her, could he? There was no way he could like Cupid, she was just friend and that was how she saw him as well . . . right? If that were true, then why did the Beast seem reasonably easier to deal with whenever the young goddess around during one of his rampages?

WHAM! BOOM!

"RRRRRRRWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGH!"

It seemed those questions were going to have to wait for another time. Without warning the swinging doors that led to the kitchen burst open with a resonating slam! The entire establishment shook as if during an earthquake as Ginger, Whisp, and Skelita came hurling out of the scullery screaming at the top of their lungs until they crashed against the opposing wall and slid down into the boothes or exploded into a random collection of bones in the case of the later. A low, wet roar rattled the café and what looked like a hot, white, bubbling wave of molten candle wax came slowly oozing forth and into the main dining area; the burbling, slimy mess swallowed everything in its path, eating up chairs, tables, dishes, discarded utensils, leftovers, anything and everything.

Cupid didn't realize she had flinched when the sudden interruption had come, much less close her eyes as a result. "Wha . . . what is that?" she asked, slightly afraid to hear the answer.

"W-Well, it was suppose to be a lemon meringutan pie, but I think I may have used too many deviled eggs. Nasty little creatures . . ." Ginger explained with embarassment as her confectionary creation frothed and percolated across the floor, absorbing everything within reach and growing bigger and bigger all the time, much to everyone's unease. It was only when it was nearly five times the size of Ginger did things start to become increasingly worrisome; the enormous pile of mucilaginous mush churned and squelched as it began to pile itself up higher, building itself into a crude humanoid figure that generated a pair of heavyset arms and legs to support itself. With a wet gurgle, a wide mouth split itself across the broad chest and a pair of large, yellowed eyes like that of lemon wedges popped loose from the pile of pulp just above the massive maw from which what looked like lemon juice or egg yolk dripped from.

Skelita sighed wistfully as her left radius and ulna skittered along on its fingers to try and collect the rest of her discarded body. "Ay-ay-ay, why do these kind of things happen to us? We try to bake a simple pie and we end up creating un monstruo!"

Whisp was about to make some witty comment when the pie monster cut her off with a wet roar and came charging right at her with savage intent and outstretched hands. The genie yelped and quickly ducked under the first swipe of the slowly melting fingers before leaping over the second swipe and disappearing in a puff of blackened smoke that left the pie monster thoroughly baffled as to where she went, scratching its head in confusion.

"INCOMING!"

The pile of delicious pie filling glanced up at the sudden battle cry and bellowed with extreme irritation when Whisp appeared out of a puff of smoke directly above it and dropped down on its head like a bomb, jamming her arms and legs as deep into monster's face as possible, right between the eyes. Much to her horror, the djinni's hands and feet sunk deep into the mucilaginous makeup and stuck fast like glue, trapping her in place. Whisp could do little else but press herself as close to the monster's face and possible and try to avoid getting grabbed by the monstrous hands that came up to try and swat her away.

"Well, I'm gonna go ahead and say it: you've gotten yourself into a sticky situation, Whisp. Happy with yourself?" the genie muttered under her breath.

The only response she got was a roar of rage from the pie monster and a monstrous hand that finally managed to wrap its heavy fingers around her. She wasn't sure exactly whether she was safer stuck to the creature's face or free to move around, but the djinni decided that distracting the monster was the best thing she could do at that moment; with a quick movement of her fingers she grabbed a fistful of the monster's gelatinous makeup. Whisp gritted her teeth as the hand began to start pulling her free from its face, growing angrier and angrier by the minute the more she resisted.

The genie grutted as she strained to keep herself firmly rooted in one place. "I could . . . use a hand here! Preferably one that's big . . . angry . . . and has anger management issues the size of El Segundo, California!"

Skelita bit her lip as she watched her leg bones reinsert themselves into her pelvis and go about collecting her vertabrae with feeble sweeping motions of her metatarsals and phalanges. "¡Necesito más tiempo! I need more time to pull myself together first! I am a little short-handed at the moment!"

Whisp groaned. "Great. Well, I fail to see how this could get any worse."

It turned out 'worse' was when the pie monster finally managed to pull her free from its face, glaring hungrily at her while she gave a sheepish smile and then proceeded to let out a string of profanity at her own stupidity for envoking the cruel hand of karma upon her. The creature cared not for her petty ramblings and opened its massive maw, dangling the helpless djinni over its jaws in sweet preparation to swallow her whole.

What the pie monster did count on however, was the sudden interruption of a certain candy witch.

"Whisp! Hang on!" Ginger cried.

The Daughter of the Candy Witch sucked in a deep breath and steeled her nerves as she assessed the situation. Left with little other choice, she pulled out a pair of dual kitchen knives that she had previously been wielding against their monstrous meal – along with a cooking pot Whisp had placed on her head to act as a makeshift helmet – and gave off a shrill scream that she hoped liked an intimidating battle cry. Ginger rushed forward and slashed the pie monster across the anterior of its leg before dashing back and leaving a deep gash across its chest with her kitchen knives; the beast bellowed angrily, more annoyed by her presence than anything else, and made a clumsy swing at her with its free hand.

That was the moment the witchling was waiting for. At the last second she jumped back and let the monstrous hand slam into the floor, momentarily being caught in the broken floorboards for the briest of seconds; that was all she needed. Her heart was in her throat when she lunged and rushed her way up the pie monster's arm like a ramp until she was about even with its face and leaped as high into the air as she possibly could. With expert precision she hurled her knives at the monsters face and succeeded in striking right between the eyes with the first blade and landing a direct hit into one of its lemony orbs, earning a spray of lemon juice as a reward. The pie monster howled in agony, allowing Ginger to throw her entire body at Whisp and tackle her out of the beast's grip, holding onto the genie tightly as they landed and tumbled across the floor before coming to a hault by the booth Cupid and Dexter had been taking shelter in.

Ginger's heart was racing as she sat up and tucked a lock of her frosting-colored hair back in place. She could hardly believe what had just happened. Had she really done all that?

"A-Are . . . are you alright?" she panted, breathless from her rescue attempt.

The djinni had a bright smile on her face. "Yeah, I'm alright. Nice moves back there!"

Ginger blushed a bright red. "O-oh . . . really?"

"Yep!" Whisp grinned before a mischevious and playful look crossed her lips and one of her fingers curled seductively under the young witch's chin. "In fact, if you'd like, I'd be more than happy to show you some of my moves . . ."

The Daughter of the Candy Witch could hardly believe what she was hearing when her cheeks flushed a deep crimson. "Wh-What!? Y-You mean . . . oh, my Grimm, er . . . th-that is . . . um, thank you for the offer but-"

"Right!" Whisp interrupted. "Stop Piezilla now, rewarding later!"

"Th-That's not exactly w-what I-"

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWGGGGHHH!" the newly named monster roared right in their faces, absolutely furious at the loss of its eye.

Whisp managed to hold in her nausea at the smell of the monster's hot breath that smelled far too similar to spoiled cream. "That's a pretty impressive set of lungs you got there, big fella," she simpered as she tapped the Omnitrix fastened to her wrist. "But I can do you one better."

Ginger squeezed her eyes shut as the genie brought her hand down on the activation button and was swallowed in an eruption of dark blue light that began to warp and change her genetic code. Her skin on a smooth, chrome white with a soft cracking noise while it solidified, a much moe volative and disturbing noise reaching Ginger's ears when Whisp's frame shrank and was compressed down to roughly the size of a large doll. Her bones softened and became more flexible until they were done away with, fused with the pearly, white shell that encased her body; her lips split and widened as her head swelled into a roughly football-shaped sphere. The djinni's organs oozed and sloshed around inside of her being, pushed and squished together to their limits when her lungs suddenly bloated to enormous proportions, quickly becoming the largest organ in her body. Her point ears were back against her head, melting into her skin and forming small cups from which wire-like cords snaked out around her head, resembling an odd mixture of headphones and pigtails that connected to a box-like structure upon her back. Whisp's eyes dialted and shrank, turning beady and slit-like when they flashed a deep azure in color and the Omnitrix appeared on her forehead, completing the transformation.

"Or how about six better?" Sonic Doom smiled cheekily as she quickly divided herself into a half dozen clones.

The appropriately named Piezilla was even more confused at the sudden increase in enemies to smash and was thus unprepared when the half dozen Sonorosian clones all sucked in a deep breath and blasted out a solid wall of ultrasonic sound at the pie monster's face.

Needless to say, the beastly blob didn't like that in the slightest. With a wet roar of fury, Piezilla spat out an awful torrent of pie filling from its enormous mouth, slathering Sonic Doom in the revolting spray. The female Sonorosians momentarily recoiled in disgust before they attempted to extricate themselves from the sticky trap, only to find themselves firmly rooted in place and incapable of pulling themselves out. The pie monster seemed greatly amused by this and gave a deep, revrebating laugh before he spat out another load of sticky pie filling to finish the job, rendering the Sonorosians completely helpless.

With that minor distraction out of the way, Piezilla turned its attention towards the remaining patrons of the Hocus Latte Cafe, namely Skelita – or rather her scattered skeleton, which had succeeded in rebuilding her spinal cord and ribcage and was going about trying to fit the two pieces together with her reconstructed pelvis. The pie monster screeched and fired off a torrent of delicious sludge from the middle of its chest region, swallowing Skelita in an agglutinative mess of the goo; it may not have very bright, but it was smart enough to know that taking out a downed opponent meant fewer enemies to fight.

The feeling of several sharp, solid objects sinking into its back alerted the pie monster to the presence of Ginger and it immediately rounded on her with a roar of irritation. The Daughter of the Candy Witch retaliated with a barrage of kitchen knives and cutlery that peppered Piezilla's frame, but it barely acknowledged that she was causing it much discomfort.

The young witch swallowed anxiously when the pie monster charged at her like an enraged bull and scooped her up in one of its meaty hands, slamming her against the wall with a painful crack from her skull that left her dizzy and disoriented. She hardly noticed how the monstrosity's hand and arm were oozing and bubbling, slathering more of its viscid makeup over her until it was sure that Ginger was firmly stuck in place.

Dexter and the Cupid, who had been trying to avoid Piezilla's attention during the whole ordeal shared an nervous look with one another when they realized that they were the only ones left standing or not glued in place. The pie monster seemed to realize this to when it effortlessly tore their booth's table out from the wall and floor and promptly shoveled it into its wide maw, its size increasing even furhter once it had fully absorbed the splintered remains.

Despite this sudden display of strength and power, Dexter was doing his best to try and stay calm. He could already feel the Beast awakening inside of him, disturbed by the fact they were being challenged by a rival; it felt threatened by the pie monster's presence and it wanted to fight. The young prince naturally didn't want to fight at all, much less let his monstrous doppleganger take control long enough to do so.

Piezilla on the other hand, didn't really care that Dexter was being pacifistic for the moment.

The pie monster glowered hungrily at the cowering prince and goddess and raised one of its gigantic hands in the air and brought it down with a thundrous, wet slap upon Dexter before he could even flinch. Cupid screamed the Son of Prince Charming's name as he was lifted into the air and casually tossed over the pie monster's shoulder like a forgotten toy; the prince smashed through a few tables before he crashed against the pastry case with a groan.

Dexter's body was aching from that last throw, his shoulder throbbing and crying out in agony when it taken the brunt of the attack the tables had dealt him. His glasses were broken, the frame twisted and lying woefully alone the bridge of his nose as if waiting to be put out of its misery. The gold crown that he wore out of family tradition and honor was dented and hammered into an unsightly mess and multiple bruises and scrapes littered his joints, as if to remind him of his noodle-like stature. Most of all however, he could feel tbe Beast laughing at him, mocking for his weakness and for being so easily cast aside.

But that didn't matter now, especially not when he realized that Piezilla had set its sights on a practically helpless Cupid. While technically a goddess, she was a young one and thus had little to no control or knowledge of the full extent of her powers and she was without any means of defending herself, regardless of whether or not she was a crapshot with a bow. To make matters worse, she was in an enclosed ad confined space with a monster made of some of the stickiest stuff known to fairy tales, thus rendering her wings useless lest they become gummed up for weeks on end; she was as helpless as a bird with clipped wings!

Dexter didn't like that, not in the slightest.

Much to his surprise however, the Beast didn't seem to like it either. The second it realized that Cupid was in danger, it thrashed and fought about even harder inside of the young prince's mind, demanding that it be released that very moment with the threat that it would every waking moment of his life an absolute nightmare.

Dexter wasn't exactly how that was much different than his life right now.

He had to do something. There had to be another way, there always was another way. This was usually the moment when Ben or one of his ghouls came swooping in to save the day, but the former had been missing all day and the others had disappeared a few hours prior without warning. Sonic Doom was still trapped and incapable of producing her ultrasonic blasts and Skelita was unable to extricate herself from her sticky prison and put herself back together. Ginger was still pinned to the wall despite her attempts to break free and no one was likely to come by for several more hours due to the horrible, private concert Sparrow had put on only an hour before, leaving matters in only his hands.

And that left him with only one option.

With a final deep breath, Dexter relinquished his freedom and felt the changes begin to painfuly radiate across his body as his mind began to sink away from consciousness. Deep chestnut brown fur sprouted all over his body in relentless, crashing waves, racing across his shoulders and down his back and arms while they pulsated with muscle and tissue. His skull cracked when his lower jaw jutted out into a monstrous underbite from which a pair of razor-sharp tusks were thrust out from his fangs. The prince's ears elongated into highly developed sensors with which to detect the slightest sound and his forehead crunched in a sickening manner while a pair of pointed, curved horns emerged from his skull just above his piercing, blue eyes. Dexter felt himself being forced down into hunching posture when his spine readjusted itself and spat out an extra set of vertabrae that quickly was wrapped in flesh and fur and morphed into a wolf-like tail. The prince felt his fingernails tear through his fingers and mold themselves into menacing claws and his hind legs snapped in a sickening manner when they were forced into the structure like that of a dog; a mane of coarse, brown fur drapped down along his back and shoulders and over the tattered remains of his royal blue jacket and scarf.

With a low snarl, the Beast pried the remnant of an all too small, golden crown his scalp and cast it aside, dropping down to all fours and unleashing a deafening roar that was powerful enough to shatter stone; the windows rattled uncontrollably, threatening to shatter.

The pie monster whipped around just in time for the Beast to pounce about it, tackling Piezilla to the ground witha furious roar that might as well have been a localized thunderstorm buried in the chimera's throat. The two monsters rolled across the floor in a tight ball of hate and fury before the pie monster managed to place its massive foot under the Beast's stomach and kick him of it during their next cycle; the momentum sent the monster hurling the air where he slammed against the wall with enough force to shake the entire café and threaten to bring it down with him.

Cupid watched with wide eyes as the Beast staggered to his feet, taking only a second to recover before he charged back into battle and barreled his entire bodyweight into the pie monster, tackling it to the floor a second time. The chimera bellowed with rage as he instinctively went for the creature's jugular, only to sink his fangs into soft, delicious marshmallow-like filling that left him incapable of using his lethal teeth and forced him to resort to only his claws. Piezilla seemed to sense that its new found opponent was now significantly more defenseless than before and attacked with renewed vigor, throwing the Beast off of him and climbing to its feet.

The two titans charged at one another a second time and the Beast managed to avoid the first initial strike, dropping down onto all fours and bowling straight into the pie monster's legs to bring him down to the ground. The two monsters struggled for several minutes in a near pathetic struggle on the floor of claws and teeth and rage before they staggered back to their feet with Piezilla holding the Beast in a chokehold. The chimera snarled and struggled viciously to escape the crushing bearhug that was steadily crushing his throat, but the pie monster held fast and tight, refusing to let his sticky grip slip.

With great strain, the Beast began to ever so slowly pry the massive, meaty arms off of his windpipe, offering him a fresh breath of air that motivated to keep fighting until he had finally managed to pry Piezilla's grip off of him, albeit with great difficult. Much to Cupid's horror however, the pie monster used his momentary lapse of concentration to its advantage and suddenly released its hold on him to grab him by the tail. Despite its massive size, the monster began to spin the Beast around by his tail, going faster and faster with each rotation like a top until it finally released the chimera and sent him flying into the pastry stand, utterly decimating it in a shower of broken glasses and creamy filling.

The Beast growled, barely noticing the canolis and whip cream that dripped down his face. "How is it doing this!?" he roared with enragement; he was the pinicle of predatory evolution! How was a confectionary creature whose brains were literally made of sweetmeat?

A muffled voice caused his sensitive, frosting-laced ears to prick up and he turned to see a pile of sweet, sticky pie filling to his right shiver and quiver for a few seconds before a sickly, female Sonorosian surfaced with a wad of pie filling jammed in its mouth. The Beast raised a furry eyebrow when she began to rapidly jam her fingers between him and her mouth, as if trying to get some message across.

Naturally, he was confused to whatever message she was trying to convey to him. "What?"

The pudgy, silicone-based lifeform sighed with exasperation and proceeded to then kick and flail her stubby arms and legs until she had finally managed to free herself of the sticky trap, at which point the first thing she did was spit the wad of frosting out of her mouth; Sonic Doom then went on to recall the rest of her clones, freeing them from their captured state.

"As I was trying to say," the female Sonorosian grumbled as she dusted herself off. "Is that you're fighting it wrong. You're only using brute strength, not your brain."

"But it's stupid! It literally has mush for brains!" the Beast roared, further enraged.

"If it has mush for brains, then how come it's smart enough to both defeat you and attack Cupid while we're having this conversation?"

"Ahh! Dexter!"

The Beast immediately perked up at the sound of Cupid's cries for help and turned with a snarl to see that the pie monster had managed to capture the young goddess, slathering its gelatinous makeup all over her with its enormous hands and rendering her wings absolutely useless. With a lick of its lips by some sort of awful tongue, it grabbed the helpless deity in one of its meaty hands and lifted her high into the air to dangle over its wide, open jaws as if it were savoring its meal before swallowing it all in one gulp.

The chimera felt his blood boil and his rage consume him and was all about ready to rush to Cupid's aid when he felt Sonic Doom's small hand upon her gigantic knuckle, calming him enough to listen to reason. "I have a plan . . . but it's going to require cooperation and a clear head in order to pull it off. You think you can do that?"

The Beast didn't necessarily like the female Sonorosian, as he found her to irritating when divided amongst herself – his pitiful human counterpart didn't seem to mind her or her other form all that much – but if it meant saving Cupid from being eaten, he was willing to tolerate her for as long as it would take . . . which was hopefully going to be very short. "Fine," he growled. "What is your plan?"

"Throw me."

"You can't be serious."

The female Sonorosian was seriously, scowling as she placed her hands on her hips. "Look, I'm too small to do anything effective to that thing and it's too big for you to take it head on. We need to make this an inside job, if you catch my drift."

A furry eyebrow was raised as he tried to figure out just what Sonic Doom was trying to tell him before it suddenly dawned on him. "Alright," he agreed reluctantly. "But what about Cupid?"

"Once you get me inside, grab her and stand back. Things are gonna get messy." was all she would say.

With nothing left to lose the Beast hesitantly grabbed the pudgy Sonorosian and tucked her in close to his chest, taking a moment to shake himself of the cream and frosting that had seeped into his fur. He then let lose a boisterous roar to catch the pie monster's attention, narrowing his azul orbs to near slits when Piezilla paused in the middle of swallowing Cupid whole to regard him with an almost arrogant expression; it were as if it found his futile attempts to save the Daughter of Eros amusing. With the creature's focus now on them, the cimera surged forward like a charging bull, quickly dodging and weaving left and right to avoid the sticky sweet balls of filling and frosting the monstrosity was spitting at him in an attempt to slow him down.

"You sure this will work?" the Beast grunted as he suddenly ducked down to the floor to avoid a glob of frosting lobbed right at his head, the projectile jsut barely grazing his horns.

Sonic Doom nodded. "Positive! Now lets light this candle!"

The chimera grunted as he gave a powerful leap to avoid a ball of frosting launched at his feet and drew back his arm before hurling the female Sonorosian like a professional bookball player. The pudgy silicone alien soared through the air with a howl of excitement and tucked herself into a tight ball mere moments before Piezilla opened its gapping maw and swallowed her with one greedy gulp; a look of satisfaction crossed its face as it savored the taste left in its mouth.

This gave the Beast just enough time to bunch up his powerful hind legs and pounce upon the pie monster, his claws raking through the monster's sweet, delicious rolls of filling as grabbed Cupid and pulled her in close to his hulking frame while he curled up into a ball. The chimera came crashing to the floor and was on back on his feet within an instant, his ears pinned back and his back arched into a threatening posture. He narrowed his baby blue eyes to near slits and bared his cage of teeth and wicked claws with a low snarl as he stood protectively over Cupid. The young deity didn't dare move and instead chose to remain on the floor beneath the Beast – arguably the safest spot in the entire café at the moment.

Piezilla immediately rounded on the Beast, none too pleased that its latest meal had been snatched from its very grasp. The confectionary creature drew up to its full height and raised its arms above its head with fingers spread wide like makeshift claws, as if to make itself look even more intimidating when it answered the chimera's warning growls with an annoyed bellow that seemed to threaten to collapse the entire shop as a whole. The pie monster made a move to lunge at the Beast and the chimera curled himself protectively around Cupid, more than ready to take the brunt of the attack for the beautiful deity.

"Um . . . not to sound ungrateful, but please tell me Whisp had a plan?" Cupid gulped nervously, wincing when she felt the pie monster's hammering blows shudder through the Beast's thick frame.

"You could say that," he gritted his teeth, baring through the pain. "She wasn't exactly clear on the details!"

The confectionary creature was becoming increasingly more irritated at the Beast's resilence and raised both fists above its head in an effort to deal what it hoped to be a crushing, devastating blow that had the potential to paralyze the chimera if the right points in the spine were struck. Before it could deliver what might have been the final blow however, a low gurgling sound – like what one might hear if they had an upset stomach – rumbled throughout the café and the pie monster instinctively clutched its gut in response.

Cupid dared to steal a peek through the Beast's furry arms and watched with sick fascination as a lump the size of a wagon wheel suddenly bloated out from Piezilla's stomac region, quickly followed by a series of bumps and lumps of various sizes that quickly melted together into increasingly larger and larger abnomalies. All the while the creature was getting increasingly bigger and bigger, as if it were being pumped full of air and water and its body was attempting to expand in an effort to contain it all. The pie monster screeched horribly as its gelatinous makeup pulsed and bubbled and flailed about beyond its control, as if it were being boiled alive from the inside out until . . .

BLAM!

SPLAT! SPLAT! SPLAT-SPLAT! GOOOOSH! SPLAT!

The Daughter of Eros couldn't say for certain, but she was pretty sure that Piezilla had just exploded. At least, it sounded like it had exploded. In all honesty, she had squeezed her eyes shut at the last second on reflex, leaving that single moment a blank spot in her mind; from the aftermath however, it was far easier to deduce what had happened to the confectionery creature which, in fact, had exploded. It was quite clear really, seeing as how there were bits and pieces of the pie monster all over the place with the vast majority of it being at what must have been the epicenter of the explosion that had finally ended the horrible, yet delicious creation.

Lying flat on their backs at the center of all the activity were several Sonic Doom clones that were dazed, brusied, and covered from head to toe in a layer of frosting and filling, but nonetheless worse for wear. With a series of moans and groans they all came to their senses and one by one began to fuse back together into a single entity until there was only one Sonorosian left. "Alright, that was disturbing," she shuddered uncomfortably while she began the task of cleaning herself of the monster formly known as Piezilla's inards. "Is everyone okay?"

"Si. I am fine . . . for the most part . . ." Skelita replied, cautiously peeking out from behind an overturned table she had dove behind the moment she had managed to pull herself back together.

Ginger however, was not so fortunate. Being stuck to the wall had left her with no other option than to simple close her eyes and allow herself to be covered from head to toe in the resulting goo that had splattered just about everywhere imaginable. "I'm alright!" she spat out a mouthful of cream filling and experimentally smacked her lips. "Mhmmmm, not bad . . . could use a little less Devil's Eggs and more Sugar Gliders though . . ."

Now feeling much safer with the Beast protectively curled around her and the pie monster now out of the picture, Cupid allowed herself to relax once more while her protector released the strain on his muscles and took the opportunity to shake himself free of the layers of glaze and sugar coating like an overgrown sheepdog. "Are you alright?" he asked, his tone gruff but surprisingly tender.

"I'm fine," Cupid felt herself blush a little. "Thanks to you . . ."

A low rumble came from the back of the Beast's throat. "Um . . . no problem . . ." he awkwardly tried to avoid her gaze as he felt his strength start to diminish and the changes slowly sweep across his body in response to his tranquil composure. His body began to shrink and compress, his strong, tight muscles shriveling and loosening up as his powerful arms withered into the equivalent of fleshy, bony noodles; his fingers cracked noisily as they shrank into thin rods and the sharp, pointed claws on the end became short, stubby fingernails. The Beast's legs snapped as the extra joint in his heel disappeared, becoming the stiff pole that were his ankles while the long, fluffy tail at the base of his spine was slurped back into him like a piece of spaghetti. The chimera's face crunched and flattened as his pointed ears became small, round disks once more and his slight underbite was reabsorbed back into his jaw. The shaggy coat of fur was shed slowly, gradually shifting back into the Beast's body as the large mane on his shoulders and head was reduced to a scruffy, brown patch of hair on his head. The sharp claws on his toes were reduced to toenails when two small toes popped back into existence one another the other; the curved horns sprouting from his scalp ground and crunched loudly as they were pulled back into his skull. His clothes – a blue jacket with gold trimming, a pair of grey jeans, and a white and blue striped scarf that had once barely held against his tremendous frame – now fell lose and form fitting around his body, the transfiguration finally complete.

Sonic Doom allowed a smug smirk to cross her face while the Omnitrix fixed to her forehead gave a series of dying beeps and timed out in a blast of deep blue light, returning Whisp to the world. "Doki doki, Beastie Boy, doki doki." she teased Dexter with an impish grin.

The Son of Prince Charming felt his face turn a raging scarlet at the small jest and graciously accepted his pair of signature glasses that Cupid has so carefully protected throughout the whole fight. "Th-Thank you . . . I'm . . . I-I'm sorry this, uh, didn't exactly turn out s-so-"

"You don't have to apologize, Dexter," the young goddess cut him off. Much to his surprise and slight horror, she gave him a warm, passionate embrace and affectionately nuzzled his chest as if it were the most natural thing in the world, though the prince couldn't imagine why. "Accidents happen all the time."

"'Accidents' involving giant pie monsters?"

"Okay, so maybe not all the time. My point is that I'm not mad. I'm just glad I got to spend some time with you, my . . . best friend forever after."

Dexter raised an inquisitive eyebrow at how the Daughter of Eros had faltered in her wording. Did she no longer see him as a friend? Was she now frightened of him now that he and the Beast seemed to have some common ground to work on? It honestly wouldn't surprise him . . . well, no actually it would, given how tolerant and patient she had been during his first few weeks of inner turmoil; where most would have otherwise abandoned him – even his own brother had distanced himself for safety reasons – she stood right by him through all his trials and tribulations, even after he had abused her friendship and trust of him.

"That reminds me," he coughed awkwardly. "I . . . I never got to apolgize to you."

"For what?"

The Son of Prince Charming hesitantly raised a quivering hand and tenderly placed it upon Cupid's cheek, as if she were a delicate china doll that would break at any second. He cautiously rubbed his thumb along a healed wound, a bruise that he had placed there with his own fist several weeks prior in his blind and foolish rage . . . he could hardly believe he had dared to harm someone so beautiful . . . and if he didn't know any better, he would say that Cupid actually enjoyed the touch of his fingers softly caressing her cheek. "For this . . . I'm sorry for hurting you. I know that what I did was wrong-"

"Dexter, it wasn't-"

The young prince cut her off. "No, don't start. It was entirely my fault, and I take full responsiblity for what I did to you, for everything that I did . . . I'm sorry . . ."

Cupid felt her heart unconsciously flutter. While she had forgiven Dexter for his actions long beforehand, it felt like there had been a great weight taken off of her shoulders when she heard those two sweet words and his fingers so gently touch her without a hint of malice, but of regret and a wish to make amends.

What else could she do but hug him even tighter and simply say "I forgive you" so softly that only the two of them would have heard it?

"Aw, it's a Kodiak moment!" the two fairy tales heard Whisp gush in a taunting manner that had the two of them leaping out of one another's arms with furious blushes upon their faces. The genie laughed before she snapped her fingers and summoned forth a collection of plastic spoons in a puff of sweet smelling, ashen smoke. "Oh, well, waste not want not! Everyone dig in while I dig out a certain someone who I owe a few favors . . ." she said in a tone that sent shivers down Ginger's spine.

Dexter briefly regarded the plastic spoon he had been given and shared a look with Cupid before taking a moment to take note of the frosting-covered . . . everything . . . in the Hocus Pocus Latte cafe and how Whisp was slowly freeing Ginger from her sugary shackles spoonful by spoonful, taking every few seconds to savor the flavor. Skelita on the other hand – as she lacked taste buds, a tongue, or internal organs in the first place – had opted to simply head back into the kitchen in search of a mop and bucket instead.

"Well, when in Rome . . ." Dexter shrugged, earning a giggle from Cupid while they eagerly dug in.

Falling was an odd sensation to Venus, although considering her lifestyle and the havoc that her boyfriend brought with him wherever he went, it was too odd. Rather, it was the circumstances of falling in general, specifically where she was and how she had begun falling in the first place.

From high above her yet so close she could hear the panicked howls and screeches of Buglizard as they were rolled and tumbled and sent spiraling around and around through a confined space that seemed to have no limits. Never before had Venus seen so much color in all her life, not even Mother Nature's palette of paints for her endless gardens compared to the kaleidoscope of hues and shades and tints that surrounded her on all sides for as far as she could see. It was also wet as well, but that wasn't much of a problem for the plant-monster ghoul in the first place, save for her now absolutely soaked attire; being hurled through a labyrinth of waterlogged tunnels and tubes that didn't seem to have any rhyme of reason to them tended to do that.

Speaking of her clothes, they seemed to be taking on a life of their own, at least from what she could see. Venus couldn't be one-hundred percent certain – as the way she was being flung through the tunnels like socks in a washing machine made it difficult to make sense of just about anything – but she was pretty sure she saw her signature black skirt and pink black-green capris take on an otherworldly, almost magical glow. Right before her very eyes they transformed into a beautiful reverse layer dress with multiple ruffles and layers so that it resembled an upside down, blooming rose. Her usual ankle-length, high-heeled boots with plant-like teeth for the soles were released with the sudden, rippling growth of brightly colored, seafoam leaves and budding flowers for the heels. Creepers tipped with razor-sharp thorns snaked their way across her feet and up her ankles and legs to hold them in place, wrapping around her torso and breasts and across her shoulders and down her arms to quickly form a pair of fingerless gloves made from fine vines. Her neon pink and green hair turned a blinding fuchsia and electric beryl with the addition of a black, spiked headband to hold her stubborn locks in place; the Omnitrix she had been gifted with thankfully remained fixed firmly to her wrist.

Venus only had a few seconds to admire her new outfit before she was suddenly pulled downward by a powerful suction and none too ceremoniously dumped into a massive vat of strangely-colored water with a loud splash! The green-skinned ghoul quickly kicked her legs and soon surfaced with a gasp for breath, quickly squeezing her eyes shut at the last second when Buglizard came crashing down next to her with a tremendous splash! and swiftly resurfaced with a hysterical bellow while she feebly tried to keep herself afloat; the Nemetrix fastened around her neck gave several warning flashes before it timed out in a blast of crimson light and returned Jane to the world.

The jungle ghoul coughed out a few lungfuls of water as she tried to stay afloat. "Ptew! Pleh! Wh-Where are we?"

"I don't know," was all Venus could say. "Somewhere wet, that's for sure."

It was during this time that the plant-monster ghoul was able to get a slight bearing of their surroundings and found that they were in an enormous, dome-shaped cavern of sorts from which dozens of waterfalls spewed forth dazzling curtains of rainbow-stained water that tumbled and flowed into the basin they were currently floating in. Unfortunately, that was about all Venus had time see when she felt a powerful suction pulling on her legs that was steadily pulling her farther and farther beneath the surface.

"Jane . . . hang on!" Venus managed to shout while she grabbed hold of her ghoulfriend and sucked in one last breath before the two of them went under a second time. The two ghouls were swiftly pulled along the current in a circular, rotating motion that was steadily reeling them in closer and closer to a spinning, swirling vortex that snaked downward towards an opening at the bottom of the basin, a drain of sorts.

The green-skinned ghoul could already feel Jane's body start to change and contort. Her once soft, violet skin quickly become rough and fine-grained like sandpaper as millions upon millions of tiny denticles – tooth-like projections that covered the skin of certain animal species – rose up all over her body. Her legs began to wind themselves around one another like a pair of straws that someone was braiding before they finally molded together into a single limb, a powerful, streamline tail from which a pair of vertical fins that had once been her feet unfurled like the pages of a scroll. Her rigid skeleton squelched and popped as solid calcium was replaced with flexible and rubbery cartilage, everything from her ribs and spine to whatever remained of her hips and what had once been her legs, all of it was replaced with cartilage. Jane's once beautiful face pushed out into a grotesque, rounded triangle from which her nose took up the vast majority of its volume; her eyes rotated to either side of her head while her neck thickened and several slits opened up, already starting to steadily pump and filter water like a set of gills should. Her jaws cracked and grounded as her pathetic, multipurpose teeth were replaced with hard, white triangles perfect for digging into, hanging onto, and tearing chunks of flesh out of helpless prey. Her arms arms were slurped back into her body like strands of spaghetti and left her hands to smoothly morph into a pair of triangular fins when the an iconic dorsal fin sprouted from the middle of her back; the Nemetrix appeared around her muscular neck, completing the transformation.

Despite the fact that she could already feel sweet sap leaking from the wounds in her hands from the twelve foot mako shark's sandpaper skin, Venus clung for dear life to Jane's dorsal fin while she powered her tail and tried to make it the basin's rocky shower. For what seemed hours on end she struggled and fought against the compelling current with all her might and yet she seemed to make little progress. If anything she was losing headway and was slowly succumbing to exhaustion and the strong attraction of the whirlpool's currents.

"Come on, Jane, just a little farther! Just a little more!" Venus was yelling words of encouragement in what she perceived to be the mako shark's ear between swallowing mouthfuls of rainbow-stained water.

Even though she knew that her ghoulfriend had no means of vocally communicating with her when she was in morph, the plant-monster ghoul could already sense the regret in the mako sharks otherwise soulless eyes. She instinctively tightened her grip, pressed herself close to Jane's streamline body, and sucked in one last breath before they went under for a third time and didn't resurface. The plant-monster ghoul and oceanic predator braced themselves as they were pulled into the whirlpool's vortex and sucked down with an unceremoniously loud slurp!

Down again Venus and Jane were pulled through the network of tubes and tunnels that snaked and warped into a nigh inescapable labyrinth of water and color. It had gotten to the point that the green-skinned ghoul could longer tell which way was up or which way was down and it was honestly starting to make her sick to her stomach; she wasn't sure if sharks could even seasick, but then again she had never seen Jane look so green in her entire life. Was it just her or were they going faster? And if they were going faster, did that mean they were coming out somewhere? If that was true, Venus was pretty sure she didn't care where they came out just so long as she could get off the horrible amusement park ride they were stuck on.

The plant-monster ghoul then decided she did care when they finally came out from the maze of tunnels and water in a wet spray of colorful hues and found herself and Jane literal miles above the ground. That alone was more than enough to confuse Venus – last she checked, going down didn't necessarily mean that one went up, especially so far up in the sky without any visible, conventional means of doing so – but the fact that they were high enough up to touch the clouds absolutely terrified her.

Especially when they suddenly started falling.

Again.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Venus screamed at the top of her lungs.

She was dimly aware of Jane wriggling free of her flailing arms and assuming her original form in a whirl of twilight locks and sharp fins, but the green-skinned ghoul was more focused on accessing the Omnitrix attached to her wrist. She quickly selected Electra – it was too bright out for her to properly utilize her Vladat form without suffering the repercussions – and slammed her hand down on the activation button, fully expecting to be submerged in a blast of neon green light.

Only to find that the Omnitrix was, once again, being uncooperative.

"Seriously!?" Venus shook her fist angrily. "You choose now of all times to stop working!?"

"Hold on, Venus!" Jane called from above. "I may have an idea! Just don't move!"

With those minimal instructions out of the way – as well as a somewhat sarcastic quip from her ghoulfriend – the shape-shifter closed her eyes and focused on an image in her head; the changes soon followed afterward. Her bones ground and cracked against one another as her limbs were stretched to lengths nearly five times her original size, hollowing out before thousands of stiff, calcium rods attached themselves inside to provide extra support and durability. Powerful muscles and tendons stretch themselves along the length of Jane's legs, followed shortly by a thick layer of tough keratin scale. The jungle ghoul's toes tore through her shoes as sharp talons perfectly designed to snatch up and hang onto unsuspecting prey. Her skeleton was shifted around, forcing her now somewhat squat legs to re-position and hold her body up in a hunched fashion held in place by a stiff breastbone that acted as an anchor to her developing arm muscles. Deep indigo feathers sprouted all along her arms, forming primaries, secondaries, tertials, and coverts until she had a pair of massive, powerful wings that easily dwarfed her original form. Jane's skull crunched heavily while her teeth were absorbed into her jaws and pushed out into a sharp, hooked beak and a small plume of feathers sprouted from the back of her scalp just as a set of tail feathers formed at the base of her spine; the Nemetrix took its place around her low hanging neck, completing the transformation.

The enormous Argentavis let loose an earth-splitting shriek and pulled in its massive wings to fall into a stoop, letting gravity take hold of her so that she plunged through the air like a knife. The wind whistled in her ears, ruffling her feathers as she swiftly approached her target . . . closer . . . closer . . . a little bit more . . . now!

Her talons opened up and stretched out, just barely managing to grab hold of Venus' shoulders and arms with her hook-like talons and making sure that her grip was solid but not too uncomfortable that she was injuring her ghoulfriend in any way. Now that the threat of the plant-monster ghoul plummeting to her death was significantly reduced, the Argentavis unfurled her gigantic wings and spread them as wide as she could. She didn't dare flap them like a duck – they were waterfowl and built for powered flight while she was a bird of prey and built for soaring – and despite her enormous size, she wasn't certain whether or not she would be able to safely carry Venus' weight. For the time being, her main goal was making sure that she landed as safely on the ground far below as possible.

Jane tilted her wings at an angle and began to subside into a lazy, downward spiraling motion to slow their descent and took what time she had to observe their new surroundings; based on the few living specimens she had encountered in her days in the jungle, the Argentavis had incredible eyesight – almost as good as certain species hawks and eagles – which was ideal for a raptor that mostly made its living feasting off of carrion or chasing predators away from recently made kills.

The first thing she noticed was perhaps the most alarming: an enormous, swirling storm of sickening, green smog with bolts of lightning that danced across the sky in a gigantic hurricane that seemed to smother everything in its clutches. Beyond that however, was a beautiful sky tinted a dazzling golden and orange hue, like that of a never ending sunrise and the rolling, expansive fields of neon colored grasses and checkerboard meadows seemed to stretch on for as far as her keen eyes could see. Patches of forest with cotton candy treetops and branches whose fruit bore an uncanny resemblance to blinking eyeballs dotted the landscape below among dozens of other bizarre floral species. Groves of what looked like playing cards were scattered across the world and steaming geysers of what smelled strangely like boiling tea of various flavors bubbled forth from the ground as if it were the most natural thing in the world. What looked like origami gazelles and giraffes galloped in tremendous herds across the plains and dodo birds – much to her surprise – flew in carefully formed V-formations high above it all without a care in the world.

"What is this place?" Venus whispered in amazement.

Seeing as how she didn't have vocal cords, the Argentavis couldn't give her a straight answer. What she did know however was that she had spent too much time gazing in wonder when she should have been paying attention to her flight path, which had inadvertently taken too sudden of a dive towards the ground. The giant teratorn gave a startled screech and tried to angle her wings so that she might just be able to slow their fall just enough, but the ground was coming up too fast and at the divergence for a safe landing . . . closer . . . closer . . . too close!

Before either Venus or Jane knew what was happening, the ground was rushing right at them and they soon found themselves among the dirt and rock, tumbling end over end until they finally came to a stop. A path of broken trees, disturbed earth, and destruction lay in their wake from where they attempted to make their landing.

The plant-monster ghoul groaned while she sat up and rubbed a bump she had taken to the head as she carefully climbed to her feet, just in case something was broken. Once she was sure she was all in one piece, Venus then went about dusting herself off and taken in her new surroundings. They had landed in a large, open field with bright, neon blue grass beneath their feet that was only interrupted by several rocky outcroppings and piles that jutted up at random points across the meadow, as if carelessly dropped there by some absentminded giant.

"Jane!" she called out. "Where are you? Are you alright?"

A pitiful caw came from distance away and Venus slowly followed the broken brambles and branches that the Argentavis had left in her wake until she finally came upon the massive, prehistoric raptor with her head and beak shoved face first into the dirt. Overcome with worry, the green-skinned ghoul hurriedly rushed towards the teratorn's head and carefully lifted it out of the upturned soil lest something was broken.

"Jane? Come on, say something!" she pleaded worriedly. "Change back!"

The Argentavis croaked weakly in Venus' arms and ever so slowly began to change before her very eyes. The violet and mauve feathers that covered her began to melt and run back together against her skin like hot wax, sporadically leaving patches of feather patterns where her lavender skin reappeared as her enormous frame began to shrink with a series of distressing squelching and popping noises. Her arms snapped and cracked awkwardly as they rapidly lost all of their flying feathers and reconfigured themselves from powerful, delicate wings to weak, sturdy arms; the jungle ghoul's fingers reappeared one after the other when the tip of her wing bones swelled to form palms, then hands. Jane's skeleton shifted about into a more upright and vertical position as apposed to her previous horizontal posture and her legs quickly regained their original length with a succession of crunches and low grinding sounds when her legs grew longer and longer. Her talons melted together into a single entity for a brief second before they divided themselves into five, tiny digits tipped with toenails. The shape-shifter's plum and mulberry locks dripped down over her face and scalp like melting ice, her nose slowly protruded forth from her face, and the Nemetrix took its position back upon her wrist.

Now that she was back to her old self, Venus realized that whatever sorcery had transformed her clothes had also done the same for her beloved Sweet Mango as well. The loose, blue shirt she wore over her magenta top and her short, turquoise miniskirt had replaced with a flowing ballgown of deep blues, bright pinks, and bold purples that reached all the way down to her ankles. The silhouettes of animals – elephants, lions, tigers, zebras, bears, rhinos, bison, camels, gorillas, monkeys, hippos, kangaroos – danced around her new attire in dazzling patterns like some kind of fabric circus. Earrings stuffed to the brim with brightly colored feathers and sharp fangs hung from her ears and bright paints the color of fiery oranges and reds streaked themselves across Jane's face. A series of brass neck rings clasped tightly around Jane's neck and over a wide collar that hung low over her shoulders and breasts; a metal frame resembling a corset was wrapped firmly around the shape-shifter's waist before giving way to an odd structure that rose up and over her head like a huge bird perch.

Venus sighed with relief and carefully helped her ghoulfriend to her feet. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yes, I'm fine . . . not one of my better landings, I'm afraid." she groaned, feeling incredibly sore all over.

"Are you sure?"

Jane raised an eyebrow. "It was just a minor miscalculation on my part, Venus. Why wouldn't I be alright?"

The plant-monster ghoul didn't seem to be buying it and placed her hands firmly on the jungle ghoul's shoulders, leaning in with narrowed eyes and examining her as if she were some kind of specimen under a microscope. Needless to say, Jane was very off put by this and swallowed nervously, wondering what she might have done – if anything – to warrant this kind of invasive investigation. She was already starting to sweat uncomfortably and tremble uncontrollably under such scrutiny, especially from someone she held so close to her heart.

After what seemed like far too long of a time, her ghoulfriend finally withdrew and allowed Jane to breath, albeit with a concerned edge to her voice. "V-Venus," she swallowed anxiously. "I-Is something wrong?"

The green-skinned ghoul seemed hesitant in answering, as if silently debating with herself whether or not she should say something before concern finally won her over. "Jane . . . why are you acting like this? This isn't normal for you."

The shape-shifter anxiously bit her lip and absentmindedly fidgeted with her hands, fighting to keep her arms from suddenly sprouting feathers or scales – a side affect that happened whenever she was particularly nervous about something. "I-I-I . . . I-I don't know what y-you are t-talking about . . ." she tried to keep her voice even.

Venus however, immediately picked up on the wavering tone. "Jane, you're hiding something."

"N-No, I'm not. I promise . . ."

"Jane, you're starting to grow a tail."

The jungle ghoul dared to steal a peek behind her and cringed when she noticed that the lavishly long-haired tail of a black-and-white colobus monkey had inexplicably sprouted from the base of her spine. With her face tinted a deep crimson in color, she instinctively tried to cover up the sudden transfiguration while simultaneously trying to make it go away without turning her attention away from Venus.

Unfortunately, she saw right through her facade. "Jane, please just tell me the truth. I can't stand seeing you like this, I care too much about you! You never attack people unless they attack you first! Ever! You looked like you were gonna eat Sparrow!"

At the sound of the Son of Robin Hood's name, the shape-shifter instinctively squinched before she realized what she was doing and tried to cover up her actions. Much to her disappointment and horror however, a pair of antelope horns had started to sprout from her forehead, thus only cementing her ghoulfriend's worry in her.

"Jane . . . are you jealous?"

The sound of Venus' conclusion made her visible cringe, as if the very thought was physically painful for her. She hated to admit it, but the plant-monster ghoul was right; she was jealous. She didn't know why – after all this time – that she still doubted her spouses' undying affections for her, even after all the mayhem and chaos they had been put through. It just made her blood boil to see her green-skinned goddess so fluidly and voluntarily flaunt about her gore-geous figure and seduce someone else as if it were second nature to her, and right in front of Jane no less. Even if Venus had been quoted on saying that she'd rather swallow herbicide than even consider kissing Sparrow Hood – mercifully, the task of seduction hadn't come to that – it still hurt to see her pay so much attention to someone else.

"Y-Yes . . ." Jane shamefully admitted, awkwardly rubbing her shoulder while her face burned a bright scarlet. "I'm sorry . . ."

The shape-shifter felt her ghoulfriend's hand come to her face and part of her braced herself for what could have potentially been an abrasive slap. Only when Venus' fingers softly caressed her cheek and smoothly moved to run her fingers through her hair did she truly relax, becoming almost helpless when the plant-monster ghoul pulled her into a warm, tight embrace. "Sweet Mango," she used the affectionate pet name she had for her. "I will never leave you, Robecca, or Ben for any other man-ster or ghoul for as long as I may flourish and bloom."

". . . not even for Sparrow?" the jungle ghoul asked innocently.

"I'd rather fuck a weed whacker than ever go out with that creep."

Jane couldn't help but feel her heart flutter at those words and her face flare into a bright maroon at her ghoulfriend's colorful vocabulary. She buried her face into her chest, hugging Venus tightly as if she might be torn from her grasp if she ever loosened her grip. Her head rose and fell with her breath, she could feel her heart beating in time with her own, and she felt like she could stay there in that single moment forever. It seemed impossible for a single second to last so long, but Jane wanted it to last for an eternity. She longed to feel Venus' lips softly press to her forehead in a tender kiss of promise and her claws tickle her skin in supple affection – alas, such luxuries were not reserved for mortals, much less ones that shared her lifestyle.

At first she thought the tightening of the green-skinned ghouls' grip upon her shoulder was of comfort and love, perhaps even a desire to get frisky right then and there regardless of their location – it was known to happen every now and again with Venus' impish persona. It was only when her claws dug in far too deep to be affectionate in any manner did she realize that something was wrong. It was only when she heard a rather worrying sound with her sensitive ears did she realize that something was seriously wrong.

"Jane . . . slowly turn around . . ." she heard Venus mumble softly, a hint of fear in her voice.

The jungle ghoul did as she was told and slowly wormed her way around in Venus' increasingly tightening embrace to regard one of the enormous boulders she had landed awkwardly in front of, less than a few feet from where her beak had slammed into the earth . . . at least, it looked like a boulder upon landing.

Now the rock was moving, slowly and ardently at first as if it were waking from a deep slumber. Gigantic arms and legs the size and width of redwood trees unfolded and were planted against the ground, leaving deep trails in the earth from claws as big and sharp as fracking drills. A long, serpentine neck unfurled from the enormous body – it might as well have belonged to one of the large baleen whales – with a pointed reptilian head and a rack of horns of varying sizes. A set of powerful jaws – one directly above the other with teeth on either mandible – opened up to reveal row after row after razor-sharp teeth and a long, dexterous tongue that took its sweet time licking its chops during what might have been a yawn big enough to swallow a knight whole, armor, horse, and all. A long, lizard-like tail swept low across the ground, flattening everything within range as what had to be the biggest wings Jane had ever seen opened up and stretched to their maximum span – easily dwarfing the wingspan of jet plane. Finally, three pairs of fiery, golden orbs with a hint of venomous green at their center flickered open and momentarily regarded the world around them before centering down upon the absolutely dwarfed shape-shifter that stood awestruck at its feet with a cowering plant-monster ghoul behind her.

"C-can you try . . . talking to it?" Venus whispered. She didn't dare raise her voice for fear of somehow angering the unfathomably large beast and putting their lives in jeopardy.

Jane swallowed nervously but slowly nodded her head. With a deep breath for confidence, she took several cautious steps forward, her movements never going unnoticed for the slightest second by the titanic creature. Her eyes habitually began to carefully examine every detail of the beast's enormous body, the way its scales were so tightly knit together like armor, the way its wings folded carefully against its back, the slow deep breaths that rose and fell with the giant's breastbone. The creature vaguely looked like a dragon in some ways . . . she didn't speak much dragon, but it was worth a shot.

"RRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWHHHHHH!"

Venus could have sworn that her heart – however strange it might have been in comparison to those of flesh and tissue – had skipped a beat when that thunderous, primal roar erupted from the back of Jane's throat and scared the budding leaves off of her. More importantly, the enormous beast seemed to be at least mildly interested in the jungle ghoul at that point, at least more interested than how someone might regard an insignificant mosquito. Beyond that however, the creature made no further movements and kept its eyes – all six of them – locked firmly on Jane, as if it were methodically examining her like a scientist might study their most recent find.

For the longest time none of them moved and the air felt thick and heavy with the silence that smothered everything like a blanket. Venus bit her lip and tapped one of her fingers anxious against her knuckle, waiting for a response of some kind . . . preferably the kind that wouldn't turn her into mulch.

"Maybe I should try a different dialect?" Jane whispered with a slight edge in her voice.

"Brilliant idea. Might I suggest English like any other sentient species?"

Venus blinked, unsure if she had heard that correctly. "Did . . . d-did that . . . thing just talk?"

"So now I'm a thing, am I? If you ask me, the bar has been set too low for sentience." the deafening voice of the gargantuan creature boomed in her ears.

Jane immediately fell to her hands and knees, forgetting all about her new attire as she fell into a submissive posture with her head as low to the ground as possible. "F-Forgive me . . . I-I did not mean to insult you, Great One."

All six of the immense beast's eyes blinked curiously before it spoke again. "While cowering, worshipping, or begging are all valid reactions for my kind, there is no need for such formalities with me. You may rise, young one." he drawled in a kindly manner while glancing at his claws as if it were the most casual thing in the world. "

The jungle ghoul did what was requested of her without hesitance and made a point to straighten her new dress to be as presentable as possible. "Forgive me, but I don't believe I recognize your species?" she bowed respectfully.

"No, I don't imagine you would, shape-shifter. Not since the last time the worlds were as one did our species last meet one another." the enormous creature rumbled sagely.

"I-I beg your pardon?"

The prodigious animal waved it off. "Just the ramblings of a centuries old being whose seen it all," his voice echoed deeply, as if he knew something that he wasn't allowed to tell them. "As for what I am, young one, I am of the jabberwocky species."

"Draco duplexus dente." Jane breathed in awe. "I remember learning about your kind in my Beast Training and Care classes."

"Shape-shifter, I would highly advise against the idea of keeping my kind as a pet."

"Why's that?"

The enormous jabberwocky turned to suddenly regard Venus, earning a nervous squeak from her when she all but dove behind her ghoulfriend for protection; the jungle ghoul smiled at how ironic that situation had become. "A plant-monster? I can't remember the last time I saw one of you."

Jane coughed awkwardly. "Pardon me, but if you are indeed a jabberwock, then can I assume that we're in Wonderland?"

"You would assume correctly, young one." the double-jawed dragon gave an odd smile, as if he were a proud parent watching their child perform in a play. "But now, would you mind indulging an old dragon's intellectual curiosity and answer a simple question? Why are you here?"

At this, the two ghouls smiled somewhat sheepishly. "T-To be honest, w-we haven't the faintest idea." Venus admitted, still rather intimidated by the jabberwocky's immense size and bizarre anatomy; he could have crushed her like a grape between two of his gigantic claws with ease!

"To be more specific, we accidentally fell down an old well that led us here." Jane explained.

The jabberwock nodded wisely. "The Well of Wonder," he rumbled. "As I remember, another girl about your age ended up here through the same portal as well, quite latterly in fact."

"Really?" Venus' eyes widened with amazement.

"Yes. As I recall, the White Knight assisted in her proper return to her realm," he scratched his bottommost chin in thought, as if something had just occurred to him. "If memory serves, a group of several girls passed by here not too long ago . . . a few hours, I believe. A rather odd lad was accompanying them as well . . ."

At the mention of that, Jane felt her pulse quicken and met a mirror image of her expression as a response when she turned in surprise to her ghoulfriend. It couldn't possibly be . . . the chances that he was here with them, before them . . . but that would mean he had . . .

"W-What . . . what did the boy look like?" Venus asked.

The prodigious jabberwocky hummed to himself, a low reverberating that made the very ground beneath their feet tremble like an earthquake and their legs quiver and jiggle like gelatin in an effort to stay standing. "Let me see . . . if I remember correctly, he had brown hair . . . green eyes . . . and a rather peculiar timekeeping device on his wrist, or rather all over his body, now that you mention him . . ."

It had to be him. The description was uncanny, a perfect fit for him despite the slightly misguided details. Even so, there was no denying that somehow, someway, through some impossible means, Ben had somehow ended up in Wonderland with them; it would certainly explain why they hadn't seen him since lunch at least.

"Thank you, Great One," Jane bowed respectfully with Venus following suit. "Could you please tell us where he went?"

The great Wonderland dragon sighed somewhat tiredly, wondering why such complicated questions were being asked of him. While the two ghouls trembling before weren't human by any means, they certainly behaved like them. He had lived countless centuries and he was still no closer to understanding humanity as a whole, particularly why they were so loud - did they seriously think that no-one could hear them? - or how they managed to fumble from the brink of one cataclysm to the next and still keep going. And then of course, there was their delusions of death and coming up with ever increasing ways of massacring one another over the silliest of things. Protecting ones offspring and family from harm? Perfectly acceptable and highly encouraged. Fighting on the grounds that they had different cultures and couldn't be bothered to be tolerant of one another? It completely astounded him how little they slowed down to appreciate what they had accomplished every once and a while before they inevitable drove themselves to extinction.

He hummed again, once more putting the two ghouls through the motions of a centralized earthquake with his massive diaphragm. "Humans exhibit such bizarre behavior that I am at quite a loss. I wouldn't have the faintest idea as to where your friend went."

Jane deflated at the sound of that and felt Venus become just as saddened from behind her. "Then . . . do you have any idea of a place where he might have gone?"

The jabberwocky gave a low rumble and assumed the thinking position he had taken so often during their conversation. "If I had to guess, your best chance would be to attend the Queen of Heart's birthday bash. Practically all of Wonderland will be in attendance. If there were ever to be a place where you might find him, that would be your best bet."

"Fangtastic!" Venus exclaimed excitedly. "We better-"

"Ah-ah-ah, I wouldn't do that if I were you." the double-jawed dragon clacked his mandibles in a warning manner. "The birthday bash is by invitation only, it always has and always will be from my understanding. Anyone caught trying to sneak in without her majesty's permission will . . . well, I'm sure you can probably guess."

"Off with their heads?" Jane unconsciously held her throat.

"Precisely."

Jane slumped even further. "A-Are you sure there isn't a way for us to possibly sneak in? I-I-I mean, it is rather easy for me given my capabilities, but what about Venus?" she gestured to the plant-monster ghoul who had thankfully eased up on the ironclad grip on her shoulders a little while ago.

"Sheer determination and will-power. If humans are anything like you, it's no wonder they've survived so long as a species," the jabberwocky mumbled to himself in thought, racking his brain for a possible solution to the problem at hand. Jabberwocks always jumped at the chance to resolve issues whenever they arose, but given their rather large size and undisputed reign as the apex predators of Wonderland, opportunities rarely ever presented themselves in their long-lived lifespans. "Well . . . the Queen of the Golden Rose did reject the Queen of Heart's birthday invitation on account of an infestation of tap-dancing aphids . . . if you were to pose as one of her many servants – an ambassador perhaps – with a supposed gift for her majesty in tow, you may be able to get past the gate." he regarded Venus with all six of his eyes.

"Queen of the Golden Rose?" Venus cocked an eyebrow.

"She is essentially the mistress of all the talking flowers in Wonderland. You certainly fit the part, if I do say so myself."

"It could work . . ." the plant-monster ghoul mulled it over. "But won't they get suspicious if I don't have anything to present to the queen?"

"Are you sure you don't have anything to give her? Perhaps her majesty would like an . . . animal companion of some sort?"

It was then that Jane caught onto the jabberwock's plan. "Me . . . he means me. I'm the gift."

"I don't follow." the green-skinned ghoul raised an eyebrow.

The jungle ghoul sighed distastefully. "It isn't uncommon for royalty to keep a collection of animals to illustrate their wealth and power. The more exotic and rare an animal is, the more impressive you are compared to other royals. Of course, they never took into much account the well being of the unfortunate animals under their care . . ."

"Tragically, yes." the Wonderland dragon agreed. "But if you were to present yourself as such a beast, you may be able to get past the guards with minimal trouble."

Despite the sheer genius of the plan, Venus knew that it was a bad idea – mostly because she knew that her ghoulfriend was strongly against the idea of keeping her animal brethren in poor, captive conditions like those of the menageries she had described. "Are you sure you want to go through with this?" she asked her. "You don't have to if you don't want to. We can always find another way."

Jane sighed. "No, I-I'll do it." she swallowed the vile at the back of her throat, attempting to put on a confident face. "Just so long as there aren't any collars or leashes involved . . ."

"I commend you for your bravery, young one." the jabberwocky complimented her. "Might I ask what you might disguise yourself as for this little operation?"

Jane tapped her chin in thought, running through the massive catalog of animals she had memorized over the years whose genetics ran through her blood. "Perhaps a platypus?"

"You'd be surprised how many of those we have running around these parts." the double-jawed dragon turned the idea down.

Well . . . what about an aye-aye?"

"Try again."

"Axolotl?"

"Not quite."

"Yeti crab?"

"Hmm . . . I'm afraid not."

"Pink Fairy Armadillo?"

"Close, but no kettle."

"Sarcastic fringehead?" Jane asked weakly.

"You're going to have to do better than that, shape-shifter." the jabberwocky chuckled lightly at the jungle ghoul's patience starting to wear thin. It was then that he lowered his massive head down to her level, regarding carefully with all six of his eyes and scrutinizing every detail until his sights locked onto one particular feature in general that had alluded him during the first few moments of their encounter. "If I may ask, what is that timekeeping device on your wrist? It looks oddly familiar to the one on your friend."

It took a few seconds for Jane to realize what the Wonderland dragon was talking about in the first place. "Oh, this?" she raised the arm to which the Nemetrix was fastened around her wrist so that he could see it better. "This is the Nemetrix. It's a device that allows me to . . . turn into . . . alien . . . animals . . ." she trailed off with realization and mentally slapped herself for being so stupid.

"I am such a buffoon sometimes . . ." Jane sighed as she tapped the Nemetrix and randomly selected one of her transformations before slamming a hand down on the core, emerging herself in the following blast of crimson light. Her lilac skin cracked and crunched softly as it began to thicken like rhino hide and dull in color, turning an unimpressive brown that slithered over her hands, up her arms, across her shoulders, and criss-crossing over her chest. The jungle ghoul's untamed curls and ponytail slurped back into her scalp like strands of noddles and her bones thickened with a low, grinding noise as they were denser and heavier; her skeleton quickly fused together with her skin to form a rocky exoskeleton of sorts. Jane's size dramatically increased when her body began to bloat and swell, her shoulders and back broadening greatly and tearing right through the back of her new dress. Her skull swelled to match her thickening neck and growing frame while her forearms began to inflate and blowup until they had overtaken her hands and formed hook-like forelegs. Interlocking plates of chitin covered in layer after layer of rock and earth spread across her body to form a crusty armor from which multiple bumps and knobs protruded forth. A wet splitting sound filled the air as a second pair of jointed, rock-encrusted legs emerged from what was left of her ribs and a gigantic horn sprouted from Jane's forehead; the Nemetrix appeared in the form of a heavy collar around her neck, completing the transformation.

The jabberwock actually seemed rather impressed. "Your array of transformations is quite expansive."

"You don't know the half of it." Venus grinned as she proudly patted Crabdozer. With a grunt and some effort, she quickly scaled the rocky hide of the alien beast and took up a spot right behind its head where the thick collar of the Nemetrix met her heavy neck. Despite the Crabdozer's immense size, it was still utterly dwarfed in comparison to the Wonderland dragon. "We best be going. Thanks for all the help. It was nice to meet you!"

The jabberwocky gave his odd, double-jawed smile again. "Please, the pleasure is mine, if any." he bowed his head. "If you head East of here until you meet the main path and follow it as far as the horizon until the sun is a quarter past its zenith, you should reach the Queen of Heart's palace. Barring any unforeseen circumstances you may encounter along the way, of course."

"Unforeseen circumstances?" Venus cocked an eyebrow out of curiosity.

The Wonderland dragon nodded. "Indeed. Wonderland is a rather unpredictable place for those that don't expect the unexpected. Given your capabilities however, I have little doubt you would become sidetracked for very long." he reassured them.

The plant-monster ghoul released a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. "That's a relief," she relaxed. With a few, quick pats to the Crabdozer's head, the mighty beast slowly turned around and began to lumber off towards the East as the jabberwock had instructed, offering only a resonating bellow as a farewell. "Good-bye!"

The double-jawed dragon flexed one of his titanic wings as if to bid them a safe journey and watched the two of them slowly plod across the brightly colored meadow and out of sight. With a low rumble from deep within his throat, he flexed open his twin jaws in a massive yawn and curled back up on the ground with wings folded against his back and his tail curled around his head. As sleep once again closed its grip on him, he couldn't help but smile as if he were recalling a fond memory.

"It has indeed been some time since I've met monsters that could actually carry a decent conversation." he chuckled to himself. "T'was brillig, and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe: all mimsy were the borogoves, and the mome raths outgrabe . . ."

B.P: Oh, my Grimm! This is bad, this is bad, this is so bad!

T.P: Calm down, sis, it's not as bad as you-

B.P: Calm down? How can I calm down when Venus and Jane ended up in Wonderland!? They weren't supposed to end up there! Who knows what could happen! Oh, this story is getting out of hand!

T.P: You're just now realizing this? It got out of hand the moment Maddie cut it up and pasted it back together with stickers and glitter. And that's before she made her own modifications to the script in crayon.

B.P: She had some nice doodles . . .

T.P: My point is that you need to stop worrying so much. I mean, for crying out loud, you're the one that's always trying to rewrite the story! Why am I suddenly the one that's suddenly trying to make sure everything goes off script?

B.P: You're Y-You're . . . Sphinx, this hurts to say it . . . you're right . . .

T.P: I'm sorry, what was that? I couldn't quite hear you, Captain Obvious.

B.P: Don't push it.

T.P: Right. Sorry. Shall we continue?

B.P: I suppose we don't have much choice given mom and dad's mental state at this point . . .

M.N: Two hearts shall bond in a bed sheet dance-

F.N: Across blankets and pillows shall they prance!

T.P: Did . . . did they just say what I think they said?

B.P: You have no idea how red my face is right now . . .

T.P: You have a face?

SLAP!

T.P: Oh, come on! That's not fair! How are you even slapping me? We don't have hands! Or anything to hit for that matter!

B.P: Then how come I can do this?

SHALP!

T.P: Why are you my sister again?

B.P: I've been asking my that question a lot, lately.

T.P: Low blow, sis. Low. Blow. *sigh* Lets just get this done and over with before mom and dad start rambling off about . . . ugh, I don't even want to say it . . .

B.P: Huh. I thought, you know, you being a boy, you would be-

T.P: Don't you dare finish that sentence!

B.P: You ask me personal questions, I ask you personal questions. Deal with it.

T.P: I suddenly find myself regretting coming back from collage . . .

B.P: That makes two of us. Now then . . . *ahem* . . . and so, Raven, Apple, Maddie, Kitty, Briar, Lizzie, and Ben find themselves falling down the rabbit hole once again! This time it has a shortcut across all of Wonderland to help them get to the Queen of Heart's palace . . . if they can find it, that is . . .

T.P: I'll take it from here.

B.P: Wait, what? But I was doing so-

T.P: Lizzie Heart's mother is in danger from a wild card, Courtly Jester, who wants to find the Storybook of Legends and sign her name in Lizzie's place in order to steal her destiny as the next Queen of Hearts-

SLAP!

T.P: Ow! What was that for!

B.P: That was for cutting me off! Now let me continue!

T.P: Alright, alright, point taken. No need to get snippy . . .

B.P: Thank you . . . oh, this is exciting! The White Knight is dueling the Red Knight so that the girls and Ben could finally escape Wonderland High . . . after Ben did most of the work, that is . . .

T.P: Alright, I'll give you that one.

B.P: What's that suppose to mean?

T.P: Well, I figured that since, you know, you had a crush on him you might . . . be a bit biased about him.

B.P: I don't have a crush on Ben!

T.P: Brooke, you're starting to become just as bad as Cupid and Dexter. For the love of fairy godmother, it's obvious that they like each other – or at least have growing affections for one another – and yet they still keep dancing around the subject; it's like it's being drug out for as long as possible. And there's Cerise and her unresolved feelings for Raven that she hasn't come to terms with yet, Bunny and Alistair haven't worked up the nerve to tell each other how they feel, and then there's you. You're just like all the others! You're hopelessly in love! Just admit it already!

B.P: No!

T.P: WHY!?

B.P: Because . . . b-because . . . you'll laugh at me . . .

T.P: Brooke-

B.P: And then you'll tell mom and dad and I'll get in trouble and then I won't be able to see Ben again just because I was stupid enough to listen to you and-

T.P: BROOKE!

B.P: Yeah?

T.P: Listen to me for just a second. I'm your brother. Sure, we may fight a lot and you have these delusions about me being the favorite child or something-

B.P: It's true!

T.P: You keep telling yourself that. Look, my point is that I'm your brother. I care for you. You can tell me anything and I promise I won't get mad. Just admit it . . .

B.P: . . .

T.P: Brooke?

B.P: . . .

T.P: Um . . . Brooke?

B.P: . . . You promise?

T.P: Promise.

B.P: . . . With sprinkles and a cherry on top?

T.P: With extra sprinkles, hot fudge, caramel, cookie crumbs, gummy worms, and a cherry on top.

B.P: Alright . . . I . . . I-I . . .I have a crush on Ben . . . I love him . . . a lot . . .

T.P: There, see? That wasn't so bad. Now, doesn't that make you feel better?

B.P: . . . A little . . .

T.P: Good. Now, if memory serves, Courtley's currently trying to sneak into the Queen of Heart's birthday bash, right? Lets see how that goes . . .

B.P: Okay . . . hey, Turner?

T.P: Yeah?

B.P: Thanks for listening to me.

T.P: No problem, Brooke. That's what siblings are for. If you can't live with 'em, you can't live without 'em.

Lines.

Oh, sweet fairy godmother, how she loathed lines. So orderly and proper and neat, keeping one person behind the other so that there wasn't any pushing or shoving to try and get to the front, all because of the concept of fairness. Courtly scoffed at the idea, scowled and dug her fingers into her palms even at the mere thought of fairness. How was it fair that her family line continued to suffer their eternal abuse just because one member was foolish enough to jeopardize her entire family tree while everyone else was treated to equality and impartiality?

As if that weren't aggravating enough, the pace at which guests were admitted beyond the palace gates was agonizingly slow. Not to mention, they seemed to be letting just about anyone pass through the gate and into the party, regardless of their social status; and yet Courtly knew she would somehow be denied just because of her heritage.

Was there no one to share her suffering with?

The jester was snapped out of her mental ranting when she felt the ground rhythmically rumble and tremble beneath her very feet. A shadow that seemed to block out the sun enveloped her and she felt a puff of scorching hot breath blast her back and shoulders, sending a chill up her as she coughed at the horrendous odor; it smelled strongly like sulfur and ash. The Daughter of the Jester Card slowly turned around and immediately felt every last fiber of her being tense up when she looked upon the gargantuan creature that had crawled up behind her on it's six, rock-encrusted, crab-like legs. The beast had a huge maw with a rhino-like face from which an enormous horn rose out from between a pair of tiny, red eyes. Craggy spikes adorned the back of the creature and a massive, red collar with spikes was firmly clamped around its thick neck.

"Sorry! Didn't mean to scare you!" .

The harlequin craned her neck back to stare up at a girl perched on the creature's back that seemed about her age and height, but that was where the similarities ended. Her skin was a light green, like that of fresh budding leaves, and her hair was a blinding pink and blue all rolled into a single, sweeping curtain that hung over the left side of her head; the other half was shaved. Protruding from her lips were needle-like fangs and vines and creepers wrapped around her arms, neck, torso, and ankles. The girl's attire consisted mostly of a reverse layer dress that bore resemblance to a blooming rose, fingerless gloves composed of leaves and vines knit together, and a pair of boots, giving her a slight goth punk appearance.

Courtly quickly recomposed herself. "Oh, it's no trouble at all! You only nearly gave me a small heart attack." she mumbled the last part under her breath.

Thankfully, the odd girl or gigantic beast didn't seem to have heard her. "My name's Venus, by the way. Is this the line for the Queen of Heart's birthday party?"

Why else would all these suck ups waste their time standing in one spot? Courtly thought to herself. "Of course it is!"

Venus felt alleviated. "Thank goodness. Um . . . just out of curiosity, how long have you been waiting here for?" she asked once she caught sight of the dastardly long line of party guests that were ahead of her.

"Hours, I suppose. Maybe even days. We're not gonna be settin' any land speed records." Courtly replied with a dry tone. She took a small step out of line – just to see how long it might be before she even reached the main gate – and gritted her teeth when she saw how ridiculously long the wait was; it had to stretch for miles!

The jester attempted to then take her spot back in line and startled when she bumped into something that didn't remotely feel like the rocky snout of a gargantuan animal. She whirled around and growled threateningly when she saw a small, orange lizard wearing a jacket and bow tie and clutching a small present standing defiantly in the spot that had been her own. Had been her own.

"I'm sorry, but who are you?" she tried to keep her tone semi-pleasant sounding.

"Bill."

"Bill?" Courtly's eyes narrowed.

"Bill the Lizard."

The Daughter of the Jester Card sucked in a deep breath and tried to keep herself calm. "Well, Bill, do you want to hear a little secret?"

"Okay."

"Did you know that where you're standing was my spot in line?"

"No."

"Well, here's a little tip for you: hit the road before I turn you into a pair of boots." Courtly hissed venomously, her fingers now looking more like deadly claws.

The lizard remained unphased, or even aware of the danger he was possibly in. "No."

The harlequin was taken aback by this, as very few people had ever had the gall to say 'no' to her and not regret it later in some manner. "But you're standing in my spot. That was my spot in line!"

"Emphasis on was."

"What?" Courtly growled, her temper starting to boil over.

"You weren't standing here. The spot was open. I took the spot and now it isn't yours."

"That's not how this works!"

"Well, I've always wanted to open my own zoo full of Irish zebras. We can't always get what we want."

Courtly blinked, slightly surprised by what had just been said. "That . . . doesn't make any sense! There's no such thing as Irish or . . . Ireland . . . or zebras! Especially not Irish zebras! That's not a real thing!"

"Now you see why it's so difficult?"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGH!"

Seeing that Bill the Lizard was either too brave or too stupid to move – regardless, she wasn't getting her spot in line back anytime soon – the jester opted to simply budge everyone else in line and march ahead to the front. After all, if a little lizard could take her place in line after only two seconds of being out of line and not suffer the consequences, why couldn't she do the same for everyone else?

The protests and complaints of those who had been waiting for hours in line were ignored – though nonetheless enjoyed to a small extent – as she pushed her way to the front and took the spot at the front of the long waiting line just as the previous guest was shown in through the palace gates by a pair of playing cards guardsman wielding a pair of spears.

As expected, she was stopped. "Name?" one of the guards drawled, as if bored out of his skull. Given how many times he had probably repeated the same process over and over again for the past several hours or so, it wasn't that far of a stretch.

"Courtly Jester." she answered sweetly.

The playing cards took a moment to look over the long – astonishingly long – guest list before they gave her a look of disbelief and annoyance. "Pfft, Jester, eh? What a big surprise, you're not on the list. Can't come in!"

The joker felt her blood boil like molten magma. She knew she should have been expecting this, given her family's less than stellar history, but it still burned her like dragon fire to know that she was being denied what everyone else was allowed to enjoy, even the most random and undeserving of Wonderland's residents! Her family had faithfully served the Hearts clan as entertainers and loyal warriors that would have been willing to die for their queen, but did any of that matter? No! Just because one member of her family went over the edge, her entire heritage was mocked and scorned as if they were the plague!

"RRRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGH!" Courtly screamed as she stomped away, shoving aside anyone foolish enough to get in her way. "Can't let Courtly in, she's just a lowly joker! Shove her to the bottom of the deck where she belongs! When I'm Queen of Wonderland, I will make every last one of them-" she cursed violently under her breath before she noticed something odd.

The spell book she had been carrying – an old tome that had once belonged to none other than the Evil Queen, the most feared fairy tale in all the realms – had suddenly begun to act up, silently rattling in her grip when she peered to take a closer look at it. The ruby red eyes of the demonic skull-shaped lock glowed a piercing crimson and what looked to be a playing card with the face of a laughing joker slipped out from the pages with a ghostly whisper.

"What's all this then?" the jester mumbled to herself as she took the card between her fingers and read the inscription that was scrawled along the bottom. "'Just say the who you want to be and that's the you that they will see' . . ." she realized with a gasp of astonishment the power that she now held in her hands. "Oh, this is going to be fun."

Without a moment's hesitation Courtly spun around her heel and marched back towards the palace gate, mentally gloating to herself when she approached the guards that had foolishly denied her entrance. "Step aside, totee." she spat with a pompous attitude. "I'm on my way to see my mum!"

One of the playing card guardsman – she honestly couldn't tell them apart, they honestly all looked alike to her – growled with irritation. "Listen, didn't I already tell you to get lost?"

Courtly felt a cheeky grin split across her cheeks as she feigned hurt. "Oh, I should hope not. After all, that's no way to talk to . . . Lizzie Hearts . . . your princess!" she took the joker card between her fingers and waved it across her face just as she uttered those words. She could feel the dark magic working as the guard's eyes took on a transcendental glow – she obviously couldn't see what was happening to her, if anything, but if the way they were cowering and quaking in their boots was anything to go by, it was working flawlessly. "I must see my mother!"

"Y-Y-Yes, y-your royal highness. P-Please, forgive u-us!" the playing cards trembled as they stepped aside without a second's vacillation.

"Not. Likely." the Daughter of the Jester Card snarled imperiously.

Even as she entered the party, she was practically giddy with excitement. She was in! She was finally in! A Jester had finally made it back into the royal palace after so many years of exile! The joker felt the book of spells tremble slightly in her arms and she could have sworn her heart practically fluttered at the thought of all the misdeeds and ataxia she could cause with just a wave of her hand. Perhaps she didn't even need the Storybook of Legends to take out the Queen of Hearts . . .

No!

Even if she did manage to do away with her majesty, Lizzie would be next in line for the throne and would undoubtedly punish her severely over the death of her mother – probably with her own death. And even if she managed to take out both queen and princess, the people of Wonderland were irritatingly loyal to their ruler; they would never accept her as a queen. No, signing her name in Lizzie's place was the best and safest option . . .

"Now to get my hands on the Storybook of Legends," Courtly mused to herself. "Which means catching the Cheshire cat. Oh, maybe my dear, sweet mother has seen her." she chuckled.

No sooner had she said those words than did a mighty fanfare play that abruptly silenced any and all small talk while anthropomorphic frog forerunner scurried out as fast as his webbed legs could carry him. "All hail the Queen of Hearts and her amazing skills at croquet!" he croaked loudly.

The crowd of party-goers immediately erupted into applause and cheers as none other than her royal majesty, the Queen of Hearts came rolling out on a large, extravagant, heart-shaped throne with wheels placed upon the bottom for easy maneuverability and hand servants to push her around wherever she so desired. Courtly felt her blood simultaneously boil and a shark-like grin slither across her lips when she saw that the queen hadn't changed a bit – same frizzy, red hair done up in a heart-shaped bun, same playing card collar, same exorbitant red dress, and of course, the same golden crown upon her head that the harlequin so desperately lusted for.

"That's right, it's my birthday and I am going to play croquet and everyone is going to watch me!" she declared proudly while she was handed a flamingo-shaped croquet mallet.

"But your majesty! More guests have arrived!" a nameless butler reminded her.

"Ooh! Presents!"

Courtly chuckled darkly to herself as she watched the queen rush over to greet what appeared to be a unicorn presenting her with a small – and no doubt expensive – present that she rattled about like an excited child on Christmas Day. When she was crowned Queen of Wonderland, that would be her receiving tributes and presents from all the lords and ladies and other rulers lest they incur her wrath. Oh, yes, when she was queen, she was never going to get tired of threatening to execute lowly subjects that failed to fulfill her orders, no matter the circumstances.

And what was every queen without a king? Maybe once she had usurped the throne and taken over all of Wonderland she would return back to her old haunts long enough to retrieve the devilishly handsome hatter that had caught her eye. He would most likely be rebellious once she came for him – all hung up on trying to get Lizzie her destiny back – but he would soon bend to her will and soon enough she would have him all to herself. Oh, yes, she could see it now . . .

"Oh, this is such fun! I'm the happiest queen in the world!" she heard the Queen of Hearts exclaim giddily. "Except . . . oh, I'm the most miserable queen in the world! I had been so looking forward to seeing my dear daughter, Lizzie, on my birthday!" she wailed dramatically before she was swiftly distracted by the prospect of more presents by a footman whose name wasn't important.

Oh, don't worry, your majesty. Your darling Lizzie Hearts is closer than you think . . . not! the joker snickered cruelly to herself.

With all the time in the world, she sauntered through the sea of party-goers and towards the Queen of Hearts without much concern for who she rudely pushed aside or kicked out of her way. After all, when she was queen, she would be doing this kind of thing on a regular basis; she might as well get some practice in. Then again, it was one of the times that she wished she had Kitty and her mother's natural affinity for teleportation magics – it would at least make things go quicker. Oh, she just couldn't wait to be queen!

Then she could get revenge on Bill and his stupid Irish zebras! Oh, yes, how those Irish zebras would pay! They would kneel before her, groveling at her feet, begging for forgiveness that would never come from her for as long as she ruled! And then she would-

"Mom?"

Courtly instantly felt her blood run cold when she heard that all too familiar voice. With wild eyes she spun around, looking desperately for any sign of the Daughter of the Cheshire cat. It wasn't possible . . . she had them locked up tight! There was no way to escape! They couldn't have escaped! She . . . she must have been hearing things! Yes, that was it. She was so caught up her fantasies that she was starting to hear voices . . . perhaps of the children she would spawn forth with Ben when she was ruler? Yes, that simply had to be it . . . there was no other explanation . . . they couldn't have possibly escaped, that she made sure of . . .

Then again, it wouldn't hurt to hurry things along, now would it? No sense in drawing her schemes out for any longer than need be. After all, that was how all the villains on those Saturday morning cartoons got defeated . . . well, that and an over the top monologue that left ample time for their semi-aquatic, egg-laying mammalian nemesis to escape and activate the always present self-destruct button of their latest revenge scheme. . .

A footman was about to present the Carpenter and Walrus by the time she got there and she wasted no time pushing them aside in order to get to the queen. "Step aside, royalty coming through!" she yelled as she approached the Queen of Hearts and all but jumped upon her lap without a care. "Look, mother, it's your precious little girl come home for your birthday!"

If there was ever a need to invent a new word for how furious her majesty looked, now was the perfect time. "Foul intruder!" she screeched at the top of her lungs like a harpy, throwing Courtly off of her and to the ground. "Guards! Somehow this . . . wild card has crashed my party! Off with her head! In fact, off with all of her!"

A pair of playing card guardsman hurriedly rushed to obey their queen and roughly grabbed Courtly by the shoulders. "Oops, forgot." she chuckled to herself as she pulled out the ace up her sleeve and prepared to work its magic. "Is that any way to greet your . . . long lost daughter?" she purred innocently.

"Lizzie?" the Queen of Hearts whispered with astonishment; the joker couldn't help but smile when she saw the purple hue the queen's eyes had taken, a surefire sign that her craft was working. "Unhand her, you fools! Can't you see this is my long lost daughter?" she growled protectively as she pulled Courtly away from the guards and into her embrace. "Go find that Jester girl who was here a moment ago!"

Needless to say the playing cards were greatly confused, but nonetheless obeyed their queen's orders lest they suffer a severe case of decapitation.

"Oh . . . Lizzie." the queen warmly embraced Courtly as if she were her own daughter. "Truly, my dear, sweet princess. I have missed you so much. Since you've been gone, I haven't been the same. I'm so glad to have you back!"

"Good to be back!" Courtly could barely contain her excitement at this point. "Oh, my, look at all these guests. You're ever so popular!" she noted innocently. "Has the . . . Cheshire cat popped in, hmm? Have you seen her?"

"Oh, I simply must catch you up to speed on everything that has happened since you were gone, simply everything!" the Queen of Hearts didn't seem to have heard the jester and was instead going on about all the presents she had since received throughout the day, followed up by her rein as the indisputable 'Queen of Croquet', rambling on about how she had taken up repeatedly blowing up the Wonderland dam as a means to calm herself during her daughter's absence – with a small afterthought to the affects it might have on Ever After – and then yammering about how the White Queen had yet to return her set of prized teacups . . .

Courtly merely sighed and kept a straight face on. All in due time . . . all in due time . . .

"'A wrong turn at the flying teapot', he says. 'We're not much farther', he says. "'We're almost there', he says."

Lizzie couldn't help but agree with the cynical Petrosapien whose shoulders she sat upon, her fingers nervously drumming against his crystalline scalp; if it was bothering him in any manner, he didn't say anything and she doubted he would. The young monarch was forever grateful for Diamondhead's endless patience and cooperation when it came to the concern she had over their current situation. After all, the threat of having ones entire family lineage brought to abrupt halt after centuries of ruling the throne at the hands of a psychopath – perhaps a bit of an exaggeration for a lowly joker card – was nothing to scoff at, not even lightly.

It also didn't help that their guide seemed to be horribly, horribly lost.

"Oh, dear!" the White Rabbit fretted as he paced back and forth at Diamondhead's feet. "My sense of direction is less sensitive inside the ground than it is out of the ground!"

"No, please, do take your time. It's not like we're trying to save an entire realm on a limited time frame." Skurd drawled sarcastically.

Diamondhead promptly flicked the Slimebiote upside the head. "Keep it down, Snot-Pocket. She's already upset as it is." he nodded up in Lizzie's direction. With one of his large hands he took her petite fingers in her own and gave them a gentle, comforting squeeze that should have been impossible for a being of his strength and caliber. "Don't worry. We'll get there. I promise."

"I should hope so." the princess sighed with a sad smile. "I know I've said this already, but . . . thank you. All of you, really. I simply can't express my gratitude enough toward you all for doing this for me."

Briar waved it off. "Don't worry about it. 'sides, it's not like we could get home on our own."

"I could!" Maddie exclaimed proudly. "All ya gotta do is click your heels three times!"

"Is it really that simple?" Briar raised an eyebrow.

"Well, you do need a pair of ruby red slippers to do it and the author doesn't want to give me any because he's such a sourpuss and says it's 'a waste of time'. But what do I know?"

Raven couldn't help but smile at her best friend's antics. "A lot, apparently."

Apple however, remained unamused and focused and was currently trying to help the White Rabbit remember the network of underground tunnels and rabbit holes that criss-crossed under all of Wonderland. Unfortunately, it was a slow going progress, mostly because whatever nonsense Wonderland considered to be 'logic' was very different than what is was in Ever After. It seemed that the rabbit holes had once been used in times of war and thus a great deal of them remained unsafe for common usage, mostly because of the ridiculous amount of ludicrously designed booby traps that lined the tunnels.

One such trap could have one unexpectedly be nailed by poison-tipped spikes before being drowned in boiling tea, followed up an almost laughable assembly line of whip-creamed pies that would be repeatedly thrown in ones face until they suffocated while listening to a tap-dancing weasel that had acquired a taste for freeform jazz sing a song all the doodah day during their final moments.

And that was considered dull by Wonderland standards.

"Okay, so if we take a left at the floating record player and follow the tunnel down past the flying top hats, we end up . . ?" Apple prompted.

The White Rabbit scratched his chin in thought. "We end up in . . . Bandersnatch Blvd, if I remember correctly."

The princess sighed patiently. "Alright, so what if we instead take a right at the floating record player? Where would we go?"

"If memory serves, if we took a right and then made a U-turn on the face of the giant pocket watch while minding his mustache and taking a Z-route, we would end up in the gribbleknack canyons . . . or was it the Wonder Wastes?"

"Well, is it the gribbleknack canyons or the Wonder Wastes?"

"Um . . . p-perhaps it was the Queen of the Golden Rose's Northeastern flower patches . . ?"

"Are you sure it wasn't the Tugley Woods?"

"Or maybe it was my basement?"

Eventually however, after much bantering back and forth and little progress being made, Diamondhead finally had enough. "Here's an idea: how about I turn into Teleportail and teleport us to the palace?' he suggested with a slight edge of annoyance to his voice.

"Ben, are you sure that's a good idea?" Raven asked. "I mean, your transformations so far haven't exactly been . . . accurate."

"The girl makes an excellent point." Skurd agreed.

"The more time we waste standing around, the less time Lizzie's mom has." the Petrosapien argued. "Do you really want to take that chance?"

The witchling bit her lip as she briefly mulled the thought over. Her gaze flickered to Lizzie's expression of utter anxiety, the way her eyes seemed to be pleading with as if she were the leader of their dysfunctional little group of misfits. She didn't even know why she was having this mental debate with herself; regardless of what she said, she knew that her boyfriend was going to just o it anyways, especially with the fate of an entire realm on their shoulders. That was just the type of person he was.

Raven sighed reluctance. "Do I even need to say it?"

Diamondhead nodded and slapped the Omnitrix fastened to his waist in the form of a belt, engulfing himself in a blast of green light that began to warp and morph his body into something new. The brunette could feel his arms pulse and twitch angrily when fresh muscle and tissue layered and threaded themselves over his steadily growing bones, making his body bigger and stronger until he easily towered over the girls. His hands trembled for a split second before they exploded into massive mitts of tremendous strength from which a single, black claw thrust itself out from his wrists with the squelching nose of wet flesh. His skull crunched as his teeth morphed into fangs and his lower jaw was thrust out into a primitive underbite; Ben's nose meshed into his face. Orange fur sprouted across his frame in a thick carpet that bleached a bright white on his hands, feet, face, and torso while black stripes etched themselves proudly across his back and broadening shoulders. Whiskers sprouted from his face while his skeleton made the final adjustments and allowed a final layer of stuff muscle to weave itself across his frame; a black and green luchador outfit enveloped his powerful figure and the Omnitrix materialized around his waist in the form of an oversized belt, completing the transfiguration.

"Oh, no." Apple flinched at the mere sight of the Appoplexian. With Lizzie on his shoulders, no less.

"Lemme tell ya somethin' stupid Omnitrix that somehow magically got split apart into multiple copies of itself, each containing the DNA of a different alien that automatically randomizes whenever I change back and keeps on turning me into the wrong alien! Stop automatically randomizing and turning Rath into the wrong alien!" Rath shouted in the general direction of his waistline. "And lemme tell ya somethin' else, stupid Omnitrix that somehow magically got split apart into multiply copies of itself, each containing the DNA of a different alien that automatically randomizes whenever I change back and keeps on turning me into the wrong alien! If you automatically randomize and turn me into the wrong alien again, I will destroy you without destroying you after learning to play the xylophone with tuna fish dressed in a tuxedo to ensure that I destroys you without destroying you! Got it!?"

"Please, is there anything else you'd care to add? Or would you like to hear my opinion about your horrendous breath?" Skurd gave a sarcastic quip as he pinched what might have been his nose with a slimy pseudopod.

"Uh . . . Rath doesn't understand the question!"

By now the White Rabbit looked like he was going to faint dead away right there on the spot. Being a rabbit in nature, he was naturally terrified of anything with sharp teeth, sharp claws, and a predatory disposition. He had barely managed to contain his fear when his superior had been attacked by a furious Loboan in the courtroom – though whether it was because he was more afraid of Courtly or Blitzwolfer was up for debate – and now he was currently faced with a very loud Appoplexian. As well as sharp teeth and sharp claws . . . lots and lots of sharp teeth and claws . . . and anger management problems that would have made a certain Lord of the Underworld look like a spoiled toddler by comparison.

"What's your problem!?" Rath snarled, taking note of his tension.

"N-N-Nothing! N-Nothing at all!" the White Rabbit quivered, sweating anxiously under the Appoplexian's blank glare.

All the while Lizzie had been hanging onto Rath's shoulders with a white knuckle grip, nervously drumming her fingers on his skull – he had yet to notice – while she waited for something, anything to happen in their favor. The plan to simply teleport to the palace using the Omnitrix's Vong Linducher had failed, her nemesis most likely had a massive head start was already at the party as far as she knew, and they were currently lost in Wonderland without any easy means of getting to her mother's birthday bash on time before Courtly did anything truly dastardly; and on top of that, they had yet to hear any word at all from Kitty, which made her anxiety all the worse.

Eventually though, she couldn't stand it any longer. "My mother is in danger, Rabbit!" the Daughter of the Queen of Hearts exclaimed frantically, her voice choked with worry. "Please, please, just get me to the palace! I'm begging you!"

Now greatly determined, the White Rabbit swallowed his fear, hopped to his feet, proudly puffed out his chest, and saluted the princess. "I shall do my best, your majesty! Follow me! Quickly!"

"Alright, but not because you told me to! This was Rath's idea from the beginning!" the Appoplexian demanded loudly while he followed after the aristocratic rabbit.

"Of course it was! The author said it was your idea from the very start, so it was your idea!" Maddie giggled merrily, leaving everyone baffled as usual. The girls and Appoplexian small, tranquil pool that would have otherwise gone completely unnoticed – even if the trees that shaded it had fruit that bore a resemblance to blinking eyeballs – and promptly jumped in. Within seconds they were whisked away down another rabbit hole into the very bowels of Wonderland without any idea where they heading.

This of course, did nothing to alleviate Rath's foul temper.

Courtly was quite sure she was going to go mentally insane if she had to endure this kind of torture any longer. She didn't know how long she had been sitting on the Queen of Heart's lap pretending to be her daughter, but it felt like it had been days; at least, that was what she kept telling herself. Regardless, there had multiple close calls with guests and servants alike getting rather suspicious of a supposedly "wretched jester" being treated as if she were a beloved member of the Hearts clan – the queen's daughter no less – and that continuously set her nerves on edge.

That, and the fact that the Queen of Hearts had been droning on and on ever since Courtly had arrived.

"You know, I was thinking of canceling this party because birthdays just aren't the same without you." the queen cooed when she pinched the harlequin's cheek with complete adoration.

By now, the Daughter of the Jester Card had a newfound respect for Lizzie for being to put up with this kind of parental nonsense. It was shame, really, that she was now doomed to spend eternity in detention; they could have been such good friends. "Hmm. How charming," her facade faltered for a second. "Now about that cat-"

"But then I thought, what if my dear, sweet Lizzie shows up?" the Queen of Hearts continued on as if she hadn't heard her. "And now look! You have!"

The first thing she was going to do once she took over the throne was rip out her majesty's royal tongue to finally silence her; she would be doing half of Wonderland of favor, saving them from going completely deaf from the queen's outbursts.

"Mother, I really must-"

"P-Presenting, her majesty, t-the Queen of the Golden Rose!" a very intimidated butler interrupted her when they were suddenly enveloped in a shadow that seemed to block out the entirety of the sun.

The Queen of Hearts and Courtly slowly tilted their heads back to get a proper look at their latest arrival, very nearly falling out of the queen's throne in the process. Their heads came shooting back down when a green-skinned girl that had been sitting on top of the monstrous behemoth's back – if you were wondering, that was what was blocking the light all of a sudden and not a guest who had helped themselves to too much of the buffet – came sliding down and off the beast's enormous horn, landing expertly on her feet and earning an 8.2 average in comparison to the queen's perfect ten.

"That is most certainly not the Queen of the Golden Rose." the Queen of Hearts raised an accusing eyebrow.

The plant girl, Venus, if Courtly remembered correctly, nervously curtsied before them. "My apologies, your majesty. My lady is rather preoccupied with an urgent state of emergency and sent me in her stead." she explained; the gargantuan creature snorted behind her, as if laughing at her words.

Instantly, the queen was delighted once more. "Oh, how wonderful! Please, be sure to send her my sincerest gratitude." she smiled politely. "Now then . . . er, what exactly is it? No offense, but it looks like a big dumb rock."

At this, the creature roared right in their faces, very nearly pulling off the queen's crown from the sheer magnitude in the process. Venus promptly went about trying to sooth it, gently petting its face and whispering things too soft for either the Queen of Hearts or Courtly to hear.

After a minutes of this, the plant-monster ghoul turned back to address her majesty. "My queen," she bowed respectfully, an action that made the jester sitting upon her lap sick to her stomach. "This is no ordinary rock. It is a Crabdozer, a very rare beast of immense strength and power from the farthest reaches of Wonderland. It took my lady's men weeks, months even, to track and bring it down and even longer to train it so that it would be of great asset to anyone who may be fortunate enough to gaze upon it in all it's glory."

Venus spun a tale so vivid that she practically had the Queen of Hearts eating out of her hand, and even Courtly had to admit that she was starting to believe it. "And fortunately for your majesty, this beautiful, gore-geous, adorable creature comes with its own personal trainer and handler: me."

The Queen of Hearts was all but ecstatic. "Ooh, it's so precious!" she squealed as she turned to one of her nameless guardsman. "You there! With the hat and the name that nobody cares about! Bring me the leash! The extra big one!"

The playing cards scrambled about to fulfill their new orders and before either Crabdozer or Venus knew what was happening, there was a mighty clang! and a tremendous metal collar that had to be at least times the size of a tire swing firmly clamped around the former's neck with a long and strangely thin chain that was just as suddenly securely hooked around a wooden peg hammered into the ground as there had been nothing there a moment before.

"Oh, I'm so excited!" the queen cried giddily. "What's her name?"

"Um . . . i-it's Jane." Venus was still unsure what had just happened.

With surprising strength for someone of her size, the Queen of Hearts pulled the Crabdozer into a loving hug that just about managed to cover a small fraction of her muzzle. "Oh, what a silly name for someone so cute as you! For now on, you will my beloved Cardea!" she cooed devotedly. "Who's a good girl? Who's a good girl?"

Venus anxiously bit her lip. She knew how her ghoulfriend felt about collars and leashes, specifically those that might attempt to be put on her. The only collar she ever tolerated was the one that was always generated by the Nemetrix whenever she transformed, and she couldn't bear the thought of leashes; this was a topic that the plant-monster ghoul was confident that not even Ben could talk their ghoulfriend into changing her mind on, if by some foolhardy miracle the thought even crossed his mind.

Before she would have been forced to step in and prevent Crabdozer from skewering her majesty like a royal kabob, the dying beeps of the Nemetrix sounded next to them and a moment later a blast of crimson light enveloped the monstrous alien predator and sent it away to return Jane Boolittle to the world, dress and all.

The jungle ghoul coughed awkwardly from within the now startled Queen of Heart's embrace. "Um . . . I don't wish to sound disrespectful, but I am not and never will be your dog."

Much to the two ghoul's surprise however, the queen hardly seemed to notice or care that her pet had inexplicably changed forms right in front of her. "Oh, are you charming! I could just eat you up!" she jocosely played with Jane's cheeks.

The shape-shifter suppressed a territorial hiss from the back of her throat and kindly grabbed the queen's hands and removed them from her face. "I'm sorry, but you left me with no choice." she frowned, her features already beginning to distort and change. A coat of light purple fur sprouted from all across her body, starting from her face – consequently sprouting a set of whiskers – and smoothly racing down her back and front. A loud cracking and crunching noise filled the air as Jane's skeleton rearranged itself, her spine lengthening out until she had a short, stubby tail and she was forced down upon her hands and knees. Thousands of powerful muscles packed themselves tightly into her haunches and chest, mounding particularly well on the jungle ghoul's shoulders and back, forming a large hump of tendon and tissue beneath her spotted fur coat. Wicked claws tore through her fingers, reducing them to strong, firm paws while her heels ripped and the back of her dress tore tore open to accommodate her swelling figure. Her skull ground when her teeth tore through her gums, hardly even fitting into her mouth until the rest of her head caught up with her; and even then, a pair of large, saber-like teeth still curved out of her upper jaw. Her ears rotated to the top of her head and the Nemetrix appeared around her thick neck in the form of a maroon collar, completing the transformation.

The Smilodon gave a furious roar and made a move to pounce upon the Queen of Hearts with fangs bared, only to feel a sharp pull on her neck as the queen jumped back with delight. The sabertooth cat growled and glanced back at the chain that held her firmly in place. It was so thin and tiny and . . . was it just her imagination or was it shorter than before? Regardless, it shouldn't have been able to hold her back that easily!

Deciding to try a different approach, the Smilodon was enveloped in a flurry of fur and feathers and took on the form of an ostrich, squawking irritably as she pecked at the chain and gave a few experimental tugs. With that option out of the picture, the flightless bird fluidly turned into a large crocodile and took the chain in her jaws, shaking her head back and forth and allowing herself to drop into the 'death roll' her species was infamous for with little results.

By now she was getting desperate. Scales turned into a shaggy coat of fur when she turned into a llama and her hooves were then exchanged for opposable thumbs and a prehensile tail when she morphed into a Capuchin monkey. From there she quickly gained several tons in weight and a massive maw when she assumed the form of a hippopotamus and promptly lost nearly all of it when she tried to slip free of her collar as a simple goldfish.

The Queen of Hearts clapped with delight as Jane transformed into a towering giraffe. "You can change into any pet I ask? Oh, Cardea! You're the best pet a queen could ask for!" she cried happily as she pulled the elevated animal into a bone-crushing hug that seemed to snap every bone in her long neck.

Unbeknownst to either of them, Courtly was starting to panic. She had thought there was only one shape-shifter that stood in the way of her plans, but now there was more? The joker anxiously stole a look at Venus' wrist and mentally cursed when she saw it was nearly identical to Ben's. As if that weren't bad enough, the green-skinned ghoul was giving her an odd and accusing look, as if she felt something was off about the whole situation but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She needed to find the Storybook of Legends now.

"Mother!" she shouted impatiently. "The cat! Where is the Cheshire Cat!?"

"Oh, the Cheshire Cat showed up hours ago." the Queen of Hearts replied casually, as if she hadn't heard her 'daughter's outburst. "She gave me some book. It's with the other gifts, in the Present Room."

"Of course! Where else would presents be?" Courtly resisted the urge to scream with frustration. She instead focused on the pleasant image of what her rule over Wonderland would be like to stop herself from trying to strangle the queen right then and there. She was so close, she could almost taste victory at this point. She just needed to keep the queen busy and anyone else who was suspicious of her from catching wind of her devious plot . . . and an idea came to her. "I know! In honor of your birthday, how about we play a little game, hmm?"

"Ooh! I love games!" the Queen of Hearts clapped excitedly. "What do you think, Cardea? Do you want to play, too?"

Apart from having her 'pet' suddenly morph into a honey badger that tried to brutally claw her face off without giving a damn about the consequences, the queen didn't get much of a response.

Courtly held her cool – despite mentally rooting for Jane to press her wicked claws just a few more inches closer – and continued without missing a beat. "I call this one 'The Opposite Game'. Anyone tells you anything, it means the opposite!" she smiled brightly and waved farewell. "Hello, mum!"

"Um . . . hello?" the queen seemed confused for a moment before she realized with delight how fun the game was. "Oh! Hello!"

Venus raised an eyebrow as she watched the jester leave, incredibly baffled as to what was going on. Why was the Queen of Hearts – someone who she had quickly learned was infamous for her legendary temper – being so nice to someone that she both hardly knew and seemed more than ready to mutter some rather rude things under her breath? And for that matter, why did she think that Courtly was her daughter of all people? Surely, as Lizzie's mother, she would recognize her own flesh and blood?

"Er . . . you do realize that she's not your daughter, right?" the plant-monster ghoul raised an eyebrow while she held Jane back from attempting to maul the queen with her claws and fangs.

"Of course! She is not my daughter at all!" the Queen of Hearts giggled excitedly. "Ooh, this is going to be so much fun!"

Given the fact that her ghoulfriend had squirmed out of her grip, turned into an aardvark, and seemed to now be trying to dig away from her problems, Venus highly doubted it.

It was the fear that was killing her.

It was like a virus, a parasite that sat in the pit of her stomach and filled her with an uncomfortable feeling that spread to the rest of her body until it had completely overtaken her. It flowed through her veins, infecting and consuming everything inside of her, plaguing her mind with doubtful thoughts.

Would they make it in time?

How were they going to stop Courtly?

Was her mother safe?

The more Lizzie thought about it, the more solicitous she became until she couldn't think of anything else. The mounting dread that made her stomach wretch had tormented her during their time in the tunnels – far to long in her opinion – and they refused to cease when they reemerged and were met with sweet daylight once more. The palace, her true home, was thankfully not far off from where the earth had spat them back out from within its bowels, but that only served to distress her even further.

The Daughter of the Queen of Hearts sighed and pulled out the set of playing cards she used to occupy herself when she was worried, expertly performing card tricks for herself while Rath carried her atop his powerful shoulders across the checkerboard meadows. She couldn't even begin to imagine how the Appoplexian – or to be more precise, his human counterpart – dealt with the constant threat of failure. From what she heard through the grapevine, the fate of many innocent lives and even whole worlds rested in his hands on a regular basis; an absurd task for a single individual, even one such as him.

"Lemme tell ya somethin', unimportant, unnamed guardswho're standing in Rath's way! Get outta Rath's way before he does some serious butt kicking! And I don't mean the star this time!"

She was abruptly shaken from thoughts by the sound of the aforementioned Appoplexian while he loudly engaged in a shouting match with the pair of playing cards guarding the palace gate. Both of them had yet to notice her presence.

"Look, I don't care who you are, you're not-"

"Ahem." Lizzie coughed lightly, attempting to keep a patient look upon her face.

The pair of playing cards briefly stopped their bickering, stole a look up, and promptly fell on their knees in a quivering mess as they profusely apologized for not immediately acknowledging the presence of their princess. "F-Forgive us, y-your m-majesty!"

Lizzie sighed. "That's all very well and good, but if you would be so kind as to stand aside before my friend here loses his temper again? I must see my mother!"

The playing cards trembled. "Er . . . y-y-yes, your highness . . . again?"

The young monarch scowled at the comment, sending the two guards into a blubbering mess while Rath stomped past them with a look that said he would have turned them into confetti if he had to waste another second threatening them – not that he would have minded much, but even his simple brain could sense that time was not something he had a lot of. Something that irritated him to no end, especially since it was bothering his Lizzie. Whatever was bothering his Lizzie, by extension, bothered him and bothering him was a bad idea.

The Appoplexian shook his head. Since when had the Princess of Hearts been his Princess of Hearts? Sure, they both had tempers that would have made erupting volcanoes look like a steaming tea kettles by comparison and they both had a habit of slicing and dicing things whenever they were angry or bored, depending on the situation, but that didn't necessarily make her his . . . did it? No, of course not. Even his simple, tiny brain could figure that out and it spent most of its time yelling at him for wasting time that could be spent punching things by thinking. In fact, why was he thinking right now? His Lizzie was upset and whenever she was upset, he was upset and him being upset was a bad thing . . . for everyone and everything else around him that is.

"Wow, Lizzie . . . your mom must be really popular." he heard Raven gape in amazement by his side and he felt his gruff exterior falter a little bit. Her voice sounded pretty and he remembered the way she would so gently pet him when the two of them were cuddling together, simply enjoying one another's company. It was no wrestling match or slug-fest, but he never hesitated at the chance to spend quality time with his little bird.

"Of course she's popular! She's the queen!" he heard Apple state brightly. Her voice was so beautiful, the way she effortlessly danced over the notes of a wordless song made him melt inside. She was gorgeous beyond words – not that he knew that many – and he remembered how she was practically putty in his hands whenever they kissed, becoming weak in the knees and completely dominated by him whenever they embraced. He liked how she snuggled so deep into him, hugging him close and tight with a whisper of her tender breath upon the nape of his neck . . . it made him feel powerful. He liked feeling powerful.

"Speaking of my mother . . . there she is!" he suddenly heard Lizzie proclaim and the Appoplexian was immediately alert once more.

"Where!? This better not be like that little red dot that was curiously devoid of mass or volume!" Rath whirled around, desperately searching the aforementioned queen. He wasn't exactly sure what she looked like . . . maybe a crown or something queen-y, that was about all he had . . . maybe she would look like a bigger version of Lizzie? Yeah, that sounded about right.

"Over there!"

The Appoplexian didn't need to be told twice. His Lizzie's happiness was on the line, and if that meant reuniting her with her long lost mother, then far be it from him to deny her. With a thundrous roar that probably scared a decent amount of the party's attendants half to death, he dropped down to all fours and raced off in an aimless direction through the crowd of party-goers, only occasionally shouting "'xcuse me!" or "pardon me!" or "Rath comin' through!" as he went with Skurd begging for him to slow down.

"Toodles! Don't forget to write!" he heard Maddie wave after them.

"Lizzie! Ben!" he faintly heard Raven call after them.

"Guys!" Kitty Cheshire's voice called out to him, beckoning him back. He was reminded of the way she would constantly tease and flirt with him, tickling his nose with her tail and never losing a moment to bend over to pick up something she had 'accidentally' dropped in order to give him a hexcellent view of her 'assets'. The moments they shared together where they simply napped together in a particular warm and comfy sunbeam were by far the most memorable, if not because she always insisted on being his pillow for some obscure reason she refused to divulge to him; she evidently loved it when he was frustrated.

"Kitty, did you find the Storybook of Legends?"

The Storybook of Legends? That was important . . . right? He couldn't quite shake the feeling that it was suppose to be important, but he wasn't sure how. He was never really one for books. Sphinx, he wasn't sure if he could even read, much less if had a desire to. Reading was for those that didn't have the guts and muscles to solve their problems with their strength. After all, the best way to solve problems was by hitting them, right?

"Over there, Ben! She's right there!" Lizzie directed him with a slight impatient edge to her voice.

Rath obediently followed the princess's directions and burst free of the crowd with a loud roar, looking around wildly for where he was suppose to go before he caught sight of a woman standing poised and ready at the top of a hill with a mallet of some kind in her grasp. She was tall and imposing, her very presence commanding respect with a sense of power and strength that very well rivaled his own, making him bristle at the unspoken challenge. One look at the golden crown on her head and her long flowing robes however, made him hold back his anger for Lizzie's sake; after all, attacking her mother after only just being reunited with her probably wasn't going to earn him any brownie points . . . though he wasn't quite sure why that was so important to him.

And was it just his imagination or was that Jane with an upset look and a dog collar plopped down at the queen's feet? And was that Venus holding onto the leash like one might pick up the rotting carcass of a recently run over squirrel?

Before the Appoplexian could attempt to contemplate the strange scene – and subsequently fry his brain after trying for three seconds – Lizzie had practically thrown herself from his shoulders and rushed over to the Queen of Hearts, crushing her in a tight embrace. "Mother!" she cried happily with tears of joy.

It wasn't long – approximately the three seconds it would have taken to fry Rath's brain – before Venus and Jane took notice of him and all but tackled him to the ground out of relief and worry.

"Ben! I can't believe it! You're here!" Venus exclaimed, kissing the Appoplexian's cheek.

"The Great One was right!" Jane cried just as blithely.

"Lemme tell ya somethin' Venus McFlytrap and Jane Boolittle, ghoulfriends of Rath who are also ghoulfriends with each other and Robecca Steam, wherever she might be! While Rath is happy and stuff to see you after all the crazy stuff he's been through all day, now really isn't the time!" the Appoplexian yelled as he picked himself up and effortlessly pulled the two ghouls in a crushing that nearly popped them like overcooked hot dogs before he realized that he was squeezing them too hard and set them down. "Now is the time for a gross, heartfelt, tear-jerking, touchy-feely family reunion!"

"Do tell." Skurd mumbled.

"Shut it!"

Lizzie didn't hear any of it. It were as if she and her mother solely existed in a little world all their own where nothing could ever bother them. She could feel her surprised mother's touch caress her cheek and her fingers running lovingly through her hair, bringing back fond memories of the nights her mother would lull her to sleep with a lullaby when she was but a little girl and accidentally beheading her stuffed toys. The princess squeezed a little tighter, as if afraid that if she ever loosened her hold that her mother would simply disappear, a thought that truly frightened her.

"Oh, mother, I'm so happy to see you!" Lizzie gushed with joy, nearly on the verge of tears of relief and rapture. "I'm so happy to see you! I missed you so! Oh, mother, I love you so much!"

What happened next however, had nearly everyone's jaw dropping to the ground in shock.

"You love me!? How dare you!?" the Queen of Hearts sneered with disgust, as if appalled by her daughter's words. "I most certainly do not love you!"

Lizzie taken aback. "Y-You . . . you don't love me?" she choked.

"Of course not! Not at all!" the queen repeated. "And by the way: you look horrid! Absolutely terrible! Utterly repulsive!"

The Princess of Hearts could feel her world crumbling around her, her heart having shattered like glass upon hearing those awful words that stung like a hot flame. Her mouth felt dry and her pulse quickened while her bottom lip quivered, tears already starting to well from her eyes.

"Now look what you did, Queen of Hearts whose real name I don't know!" Rath roared angrily.

"I-I . . . I don't understand," Lizzie sniffed as she tried to dry her eyes and make sense of what was happening. "This isn't making any sense!"

"Lemme tell ya somethin', Queen of Hearts whose real name I don't know! Give Rath one reason why he shouldn't make your insides into your outsides and then knit them into a sweater that he may or may not make you wear!" the Appoplexian bellowed angrily, forcing Venus and Jane to cover their ears for fear of going deaf.

"I've . . . I've missed you so much," Lizzie sobbed, only further crushed when she noticed that her mother seemed to be reveling in her misery. "And I thought th-that you still loved me and finally we're together after all this time, and . . . a-and now you say these horrible things!" the princess wailed.

"That's it! Rath is gonna turn your insides into your outsides and then knit them into a sweater and make you wear it because he hates seeing his Lizzie cry like a little girl!"

The Queen of Hearts was ecstatic despite the rather disturbing threats made to her person. "Oh, you really are good at this game!" she clapped her hands happily before she realized her mistake. "Sorry, sorry, I mean bad! Ooh, did I just lose?"

"G-Game?" Lizzie sniffed, confused.

"Lemme tell ya somethin' crazy lady who is also the Queen of Hearts whose real name I don't know! You better start making sense before Rath makes you start making sense by gutting you from the inside, working his way out, and using your spine for a back scratcher, because it is itchy! Very itchy!" the Appoplexian demanded, just about at the end of his rope. It was bad enough before when his Lizzie was worried over her mother's safety, but now this crazy lady that was suppose to be her mother was making her cry! And not in a good way either!

Unlike Rath, the princess was more quick to catch on. "Is this an 'opposite' game?"

"No . . ." the Queen of Hearts giggled mischievously.

"Lemme tell ya somethin' crazy lady who is also the Queen of Hearts whose real I don't know! Rath is still confused by all your random gibberish and Rath hates being confused by random gibberish, even the random gibberish that he says, so you better make Rath not confused by all your random gibberish before he reaches down your throat and turns your lungs into a pair of mittens!"

Lizzie didn't think she had been more relieved in her entire life – or at least ever since her day first began – than at that moment. "Then it's time to 'start' the game, mother." she playfully winked at her mother, hugging her once more.

The Queen of Hearts practically collapsed upon hearing those words, as if she had been relieved of some physical ailment that had been troubling her. Like a rightfully worried mother, she all but smothered her beloved daughter in a warm embrace and tenderly ran her fingers through her ruby and ebony locks. The queen was instantly reminded of herself, the resemblance was almost astounding; it was like looking in a mirror and she couldn't have been more proud.

"Oh, ancestors above. Of course I love you, my dear, sweet Lizzie." she pulled her daughter close to her, cupping her cheek affectionately. "I don't know what I'd do with myself without you!"

"The clock doth not tick without its tock and shall forever be incomplete without its gears to make it whole." the Princess of Hearts replied in Riddlish.

"The jubjub may wander the skies alone and the borogrove will forever be mimsy in its solitude, but the dodos will forever flock together, one way or another." the queen answered without hesitation, playfully tapping her daughter's nose and squeezing her in a tight hug. The crowd of party guests that had previous gathered to witness their queen's game of croquet cooed and awed accordingly at the touching moment between mother and daughter.

Unfortunately, the moment was quickly ruined when Rath lost his temper – again.

"Lemme tell ya somethin' Lizzie Hearts, Daughter of the Queen of Hearts and crazy lady who is also the Queen of Hearts whose real name I don't know! Rath is sick and tired of you speaking in words that don't make sense to Rath and make his head hurt, so Rath is gonna start speaking in words that don't make sense and make his head hurt so that you will shut up and listen to what he has been trying to tell you for the past hour, give or take a few minutes! Pum revo ug um axarr vupp whoaxalt pi Pum waxank te vaxallupp ug pi vaxako swook revo te ug axarr daxaupp, ovolupp daxaupp bel zo loch eb eep rivos! Ug wirr fo vupp wemaxan pi Pum wirr fo yeep vaxan pi Pum wirr bung ug reck pi whaxald pi ug wirr revo dit focaxauso Pum axam yeep vaxan pi ug axalo vupp wemaxan pi Pum caxaniz dimaxagino pit daxaupp withuk ug axabtol ovolythick wo'mo foon zleugh. Proaxaso fo vino, Lizzie Hearts, se zaxat Pum vaxaupp belovol spoct vupp daxays bungick yeep ivino pussupp pi tidd axapt withuk lochlaxaink focaxauso Pum revo ug riko je eno whaxas ovol revow axanyeno fobelo! Pum wirr laxavaxago yeep floaxachs pi vaxako ug scloaxam vupp naxamo pi vaxako ug fog bel vo te bung ug reckol pi whaxaldol zaxan ovol fobelo pi Pum wirr jet whositaxato te pe axas ug proaxa focaxauso Pum revo ug! Act wo axaloniz sclowick oaxast ethol wo wirr spoct eep daxays praxayick zo xyrepheno pi vaxalimfaxa um eep onomios spinos, ovon zeugh Pum peniz gned whed te praxaupp zo xyrepheno din zo bilch praxaco pi peniz whaxavo pit craxalinot te praxaupp faxadrupp, pit braxaskridd te waxavo axaleuct, cufow stooso te oaxat hiro chempick zo kleuct, pit semflole te woaxal din pit keebupp baxaskien, crewn skeos, pit wheep shilt, el axanupp didoaxa whed te scloost riko pit stimpaxanzoo hiro lunnick, rimpick, el claxawrick! Id Pum quich uso an axarr vupp axail? Act bel axanyeno zaxat whaxas axandui ox foon axafro te slaxansraxato zis reck wictow, jensonsicaxar tellonk kiffolisk, Pum cemmoct ug bel yeep podicaxatien pi zaxant ug bel loaxadick vupp chelios. Solieusrupp, Pum peniz gned holo Pum weurd fo withuk yeep suppelt pi simprupp caxaniz zaxant ug oneugh bel axarr zaxat ug whaxavo peno bel vo. Fut um zaxat foick saxaid, Pum zint zis whaxas keno en reck oneugh. Withuk bulthol axade, rot us lotuln te zo chelupp pi soo haxat ethol sulplisos Pum vaxaupp el vaxaupp jet whaxavo din chelo bel ug. Enwaxald!"

And with that last bit of nonsense, Rath proceeded to collapse flat on his back from lack of breath.

For once, Skurd was at a complete loss for words. "Um . . . did . . . did anyone catch any of that?"

"Did any of that even make any sense?" Venus wondered.

It was then that the ghouls caught sight of the lovely, deep shade of crimson that Lizzie's face had turned and looks of astonishment upon every last one of the party's guests that had been within hearing range. None however, looked more shocked and perhaps even appalled than the Queen of Hearts herself, who seemed somewhere between exploding with anger and outright fainting, if that made any sense.

"It would seem so." Jane noted.

It was several incredibly long minutes of complete silence that felt more like hours of complete silence – save for Rath's heavy panting – before anyone had the guts to so much as even utter a single word, much less even breath.

In an almost uncharacteristic manner, the Queen of Hearts had not erupted into a screaming fit over whatever had just been said and now had an eerily calm and logical air about her – which made her all the more terrifying, like waiting for the inevitable detonation of a bomb without knowing when it might go off. "Lizzie . . . w-who . . . or what is this creature?" she asked, her voice wavering slightly.

The young monarch swallowed hard, as if she were trying to wash down a large rock in her throat, and tried to get the blood rushing to her face to go somewhere else, anywhere else would have been much more preferable than her face where everyone – especially Rath or Ben, she wasn't sure which or whether she cared – could see it. "H-He's . . . he's a very close and dear friend of mine. His name is Ben Tennyson-"

"That's . . . Rath to . . . you . . . pretty lady!" the Appoplexian protested between breaths, weakly raising an arm to emphasize his point before he lazily let if fall back to the ground.

"Which is it?" the Queen of Hearts asked hesitantly.

"Er . . . both?" Lizzie cringed slightly. "It's . . . really rather hard to explain."

No sooner had the princess spoken those words than did the Omnitrix sound off and time out with a series of dying beeps and explosion of fluorescent, green light. When the glare finally died down, Ben was in the place a loud and incredibly winded Appoplexian had been occupying moments before, looking a little breathless but otherwise alright. Jane immediately helped propped her boyfriend up and gave him a small kiss on the cheek with a coral flush and a grateful grin as a reward.

"I do hope that was rather convenient? I do pride myself on being timely." Skurd puffed out his chest with pride.

"The booger talks!?" the queen yelped.

"Why do I even bother anymore?"

"Well, I suppose this would be an opportune time to explain everything." Lizzie grimaced, unsure of how she was suppose to feel with her sudden hurricane of emotions. The princess explained it all: Ben's arrival into their world, the Omnitrix, the massive impact he had upon their lives. She recalled their shenanigans during All Hallows Eve, the sudden arrival of the ghouls and by extension Ben's harem, and recollected the complicated events that had surrounded the relationship of him and Apple White before she began a short recap of the Spring Fairest Festival; she told her mother everything.

And all the while the Queen of Hearts had been listening attentively, not saying a word as her daughter began to describe the trials and tribulations she had gone through in order to reach her mother's birthday bash on time. She rightfully felt her blood boil at the ludicrous laws she had supposedly broken and felt her heart beat faster and an intense sweat gather upon her brow when Lizzie illustrated the epic showdown between the Red Knight and Ben she had witnessed. And she couldn't help but feel a knowing smile cross her lips when she noticed how her beloved daughter talked about the young man in such a positive light, never skimming over the details whenever he became involved in her tale.

The queen was reminded so much of herself when she first met her husband. It had been only days after she had been crowned the Queen of Hearts after her parents had met their unfortunate end at the hands of a mother jabberwocky protecting her hatchling – an honorable way to go, by most standards – and she had already seen hundreds upon thousands of suitors all seeking her hand. All of them had suffered their wrath . . . until he showed up. All of the men had wanted to marry her for her power and resources or saw her as a prize, like some kind of trophy; but not him. He was diminutive, shy and cowardly, but he was also polite, patient, and very kind, her perfect foil. He absolutely adored her and hardly cared about the power he would gain when she agreed to his marriage proposal – he didn't even remember until after they had been wed!

She almost couldn't believe it: her daughter was falling in love.

" . . . and that just about covers everything, I believe." Lizzie eventually concluded, biting her bottom lip when she noticed the queen had been dead silent through the whole explanation. "Mother?"

Much to her surprise, the Queen of Hearts seemed relatively unphased, or even bothered by her daughter's long-winded explanation. "Well, Lizzie, I have to admit that you've surprised me. I certainly didn't expect this." she gestured in Ben's direction. "And I must say . . . I approve."

"What?" Lizzie could hardly believe what she was hearing.

"Is that a good thing?" Ben wondered.

"For your sake, lets hope so." Skurd muttered from his shoulder.

The Daughter of the Queen of Hearts felt her throat go dry and her palms become sweaty upon hearing those words from her mother and could have sworn her heart skipped a beat when the next ones followed soon after. "Only one question remains: do you, Lizzie Hearts, heir to the Hearts clan throne and the whole of Wonderland, accept?"

The princess swallowed anxiously and cast a look at Ben out of the corner of her eyes, watching as he curiously regarded the collar and chain around Jane's neck with a look of confusion and annoyance, as if he didn't like it when someone tampered with his property. Lizzie glanced down at her hands; she hardly knew Ben very well before he had selflessly promised to help her and he had kept that promise to her through all the shenanigans and chaos they had been forced to endure. He stuck by her side through thick and thin and they had bonded closely with one another as a result. Would she honor and strengthen that bond by accepting?

The Princess of Hearts decided that she couldn't make such decisions now, not with her future and family line at stake. "I'm sorry, mother, but . . . I need more time to think about this." she eventually replied. "Besides, there is something that I must tell you! I have to warn you!"

"Warn me?" the Queen of Hearts raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Lizzie nodded earnestly. "Yes! Courtley Jester's on her way here! That joker plans to steal your crown!"

"WHAT!?" the Queen of Heart's expression had instantly returned to its infamous, red hue of pure rage. "Dethrone me!? Courtly Jester!? B-But . . . but she was just here!" her eyes widened with horror. How could she have been so foolish!? So blind!? The ancestorforsaken wild card had been literally right under her nose the whole time and she hadn't even noticed!

There was only one thing for it.

"GUARDS!" she bellowed at the top of her lungs like a furious jabberwocky roaring for blood. A platoon of playing cards were immediately summoned to her side, awaiting orders. "Search the palace! Search every nook, every cranny, every crack! Leave no stone, leaf, or card unturned! Take Cardea and her trainer with you if you must, but I want Courtly Jester's head! Or it will be your heads!"

Jane and Venus only had a few, short seconds to react before the now utterly terrified playing cards grabbed them by the arms and scrambled off to fulfill their orders, leaving Ben utterly confused and alarmed at what had just happened.

"Um . . . your mom does realize that Jane isn't a pet . . . right?" he asked Lizzie a little anxiously.

"I'm afraid a clarification will have to wait until later, Ben," the princess gave him an apologetic look. "Whenever she's like this, she rarely listens to reason." she glanced over her shoulder to watch her mother angrily grab a croquet mallet and proceed to send several poor, hapless hedgehog careening across the horizon with her fury-empowered strikes. "Furthermore, I believe we have more pressing matters."

"I guess you're right," Ben awkwardly agreed. "By the way, did I, uh . . . say anything . . . weird back there? I'll be honest when I say I have no idea what I just said."

Lizzie wasn't sure why a small part of her felt hurt by those words while two other parts of her found them both amusing and adorable and yet another part of her felt oddly hot under the collar, all at the same time. Maybe she was feeling nervous about catching Courtly? Yes, that had to be it. When she got back to Ever After, she was going to spend the entire weekend at that spa she had heard Duchess Swan go on about and let her worries simply melt away.

"N-No. Don't be ridiculous. My mother was just . . . caught up in the moment and was surprised when you, um . . . interrupted, that's all." she reassured him.

For some reason, as they went off together to join the search, she couldn't shake the feeling that he didn't totally believe her, and if the look Skurd was giving her was any indication, it was only a matter of time before he figured out what exactly he had said . . . give or take a few unbirthdays.

"Where is it, where is it!? Ugh, why are there so many tart dishes and tea cosies, I mean seriously! What kind of person needs this much useless junk!? I suppose next I'll just find the kitchen sink!"

Courtly could not have been more annoyed or desperate. She knew that there had been a lot of guests that had been invited to the queen's birthday bash, but this was absolutely ludicrous! Gifts and presents and tributes and what might have been bribes of sorts in the form of some bizarrely sewn stuffed animals ascended in towering collumns and piles all around her. The ceiling rose high above her like a crimson sky and the sea of gifts climbed and fell like mountains and valleys, virtually creating a landscape for her to dig through.

Not that she had the time. The harlequin simply couldn't shake the mounting dread she felt when she dug through pile after pile of ruby-encrusted toothbrushes and emerald-bedazzled teapot and didn't find hide nor hair of the Storybook of Legends. And it could potentially be hours before she found, time that she was certain she did not have; the Queen of Hearts would get suspicious if her 'daughter' didn't return to her in a reasonable amount of time.

"Wait a mo . . . what's with all this searching by hand? I'm magical!" Courtly suddenly realized. With a maliciously gleeful smile, the joker sat herself down and pulled out the Evil Queen's spellbook, a jolt of power surging up her arm as she leafed through the pages with giddy giggling. "'To find the item which you seek, just say these words and here's a peek!'"

The Daughter of the Jester Card watched with elation as a ball of dark, arcane magic pulsed from her fingertips and gathered into a fluctuating cloud of esoteric energy that morphed into the ghostly apparition of a monstrous, clawed hand before her. The revenant hand paused for a brief moment before it shot off at a break neck pace, destructively searching through the piles of gifts and treasures, without much care what it destroyed in its hunt, Soon, it suddenly stopped atop a towering spire of presents and pointed towards something located at the peak.

The Storybook of Legends! At long last!

"Hexcellent." Courtly's cruel smile only deepened as she closed the spellbook and tucked it away into her pocket for safe keeping. "Now to find a way up there. Simple enough, really."

The jester wasted no time and promptly swan dived off the top of the pile she had been sitting on, landed herself in a crouching position, and proceeded to backflip, roll, and tumble her way up the towering spire of presents until she had finally reached the very top with a grand flourish and sweeping bow for her extravagant performance.

The sound of the Present Room's grand doors lowly groaning in protest on their hinges momentarily made her blood run cold before a cruel, shark-like smile slithered itself back into place along her lips. Her malignant grin only increased in viciousness when she heard the familiar voices of a certain patch of roses that had been a thorn in her side for far too long.

"It's in here!" she heard Kitty's voice.

Courtly couldn't help herself from sneering at the Cheshire, loudly – and rightfully – announcing her presence and victory. "Looking for something? Well, good news, ladies. I believe I found it! The much sought-after Storybook of Legends!" she taunted them with her spiteful smile, stooping down to pick up the ancient manuscript and finding it was a little heavier than she had anticipated. "Ooh, a bit hefty, isn't it?"

No sooner had she said those words than did a clock appear before her. The harlequin regarded it with confusion before she heard Kitty's voice come from over her shoulder. "I'll be happy to take it off your hands!" she snarled, lunging for the book. Courtly easily side-stepped her and watched as Kitty went tumbling down the mountain of presents, bouncing off a particularly large giftbox and landing on her feet.

"A-Are you alright?" Apple fretted.

"Sure. I always land on my feet." Kitty winked.

"Now to sign my destiny," Courtly waved the whole encounter off as if nothing had happened. "Let's see, Lizzie Hearts . . . Lizzie Hearts, Lizzie Hearts . . . would that be listed under 'L' or 'H'? Hmm, maybe 'S' for 'stuck-up little princess I could never stand . . ."

Raven felt her temper flare and her blood boil over at the jester's imminent victory. She couldn't just stand there and let her win, it just wasn't right! The birthright of one of her friends and the fate of an entire realm were at stake and if there was one thing she had learned ever since her life had been turned on its head by Ben's arrival, it was that she could never afford to give up, no matter the odds.

At the very least, she needed to stall Courtly long enough for the aforementioned wielder of the Omnitrix and Princess of Hearts to arrive with some amount of backup. With a deep breath to calm herself, she squeezed her eyes shut and muttered an incantation under her breath. The young witch was enveloped in a column of noxious, lavender smoke and disappeared before Apple's very eyes.

The Daughter of the Evil Queen reappeared atop another tower of gifts some distance fro Courtly before whispering the same hymn and disappearing in a puff of purple a second time. She then appeared even further away at the bottom of a pile of presents and teleported away in another flash of lilac ash just before it collapsed on top of her. The witchling reappeared directly in the middle of another pile, buried beneath golden birdcages, silken towelettes, and bronzed croquet mallets that were probably just regular croquet mallets covered in paint.

"Ooh, Ben makes this look so easy." Raven groaned as she pulled herself free.

"You can do it, Raven!" she heard Apple's voice encouraged her.

The witch sucked in a deep breath and tried to focus the oscillating arcane energy infused at her core. Her magical powers were tied to her emotions at best and made no sense whatsoever at their worst. There seemed to be no reason behind they would work flawlessly one minute and then fail her the next, almost as if they part of a faulty Mirrorpad; it was like some component, some part of her was . . . missing.

"Ah, here we are! Lizzie Hearts!"

Raven's eyes widened at the jester's triumphant announcement and felt a surge of magical energy through her. She recited the same enchantment and disappeared in a column of mauve smoke and reappeared directly behind Courtly just as she moved to sign her name on Lizzie's page in the Storybook of Legends. What the young witchling did next was on pure instinct and she rammed her shoulder into Courtly before lunging for the book and knocking from her hands as she fell down the pile.

"Raven!" Maddie cried out.

"I'm alright!" came the response.

Courtly snarled. "Not for long, you won't be. You'll pay for that!" she hissed as she pulled out the Evil Queen's spellbook, reveling in the look of horror and fear upon Raven's face when her lilac eyes fell onto the worn, leather cover and the ivory, horned skull whose ruby eyes glowed with wicked power. "Oh, recognize my little book, do you?"

"You don't understand the power you're playing with Courtly!" the Daughter of the Evil Queen warned her as she climbed to her feet. Her heart was pounding heavily in her breast, threatening to tear itself from her chest while her blood ran cold and smallest beads of sweat bespectacled her brow. A sense of unease overwhelmed her at the mere sight of the forsaken book and she was more than half tempted to simply turn around and run as fast as her legs could possibly carry her; even the silvery scars that she tried to desperately to hide and ignore seemed to suddenly flare up and burn a little more from all over her body.

"Well, someone's gotta pick up where mummy left off. Might as well be me!" Courtly sneered as she traced a finger over the leather cover and threw back her head with maniacal laughter. "Oh, fancy that! Lowly Courtly Jester inheriting the power of two queens no less! Well, you can be sure, little Raven Queen, once I've conquered Wonderland, Ever After is next on my list!"

Raven's eyes widened with horror as the joker cracked open the spellbook and carelessly flipped through the pages until she found a suitable spell. "With this spell I lay waste to the past and seal your fate with a savage blast!" she recited while she reached into the pages and pulled out a crackling ball of dark magic.

The young witchling only had mere moments to react and attempt to flee before Courtly hurled the orb straight at her, striking her in the stomach and knocking the wind out of her as she was hurled across the room, through a towering presents, and finally crash-landed in a pile of ornate gowns and gift boxes; a little sore, but none worse for wear.

"Where are you? Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

Raven tried to push out the sinister, mocking tone of the joker, but her words had already made their way into her mind, the darkest recesses that she tried to so desperately push away and forget about things that she barely remembered but always woke her up in the dead of night in a cold sweat without the foggiest idea of what had woken her up in the first place.

The world around her had already turned to a pitch black, the towering piles of presents and gifts having been replaced with long, snaking shadows that reached for an eternity into the darkness. She felt her throat close and her ability to breath become restricted with every pulse of her heart; it felt like she was choking, almost as if a pair of hands were closing around her neck and trying to suffocate her.

Courtly's sinister cackling had long since deepened into a more resonating laughter that was a few tones lower but much more terrifying. Goosebumps crawled up her arms and pins and needles struck her fingers and toes as if she were actively being stabbed.

The cackling . . . that sick, twisted cackling . . . it was all she could hear . . .

And her breathing! Why was it so loud and yet so hard to even breath at the same time?

Air! She needed air!

The laughter . . . the insane, cruel laughter . . .

The thorns . . . the glint of a blade in the blackness . . . the laughter . . . the cackling . . .

The eyes that seemed to revel in her misery . . . her pain . . . her torment . . .

Her blood . . .

She felt a set of hands upon her shoulder and Raven instinctively responded, lashing out with a fist and earning a loud crack! followed by a pained whimper as a reward. One of the hands retreated, but the other refused to move from her shoulder, tightening its grip even; the witchling only thrashed about even more.

"Raven!"

The young witch was immediately snapped back to reality, her breath heavy and ragged as her eyes wildly flickered about. The Present Room . . . she was still in the Queen of Heart's castle . . . she wasn't back in that horrible, horrible place . . . she was safe . . .

"Raven?"

The princess tensed up and turned at the sound of her name, nearly collapsing with alleviation when she saw it was only Maddie that was talking to her. Raven immediately cringed when she noticed that the Hatter was holding her nose as if she were in pain, allowing a few crimson ribbons to seep through her fingers.

"Maddie . . . wh . . . wh-what happened? What happened to you? Wait . . . d-did I do that? I did! Oh, Maddie, I-I . . . I-I'm so sorry! I . . . i-it just happened! I mean, I don't know what happened, but-"

The Daughter of the Mad Hatter gave her a smile that was a little less bright than her usual grins. "Raven, I'm fine." she reassured her. "But you most certainly aren't! What happened to you?"

"I . . . I don't know." Raven mumbled softly. "Where's everyone else?"

"Not important right now." Maddie waved the question off. "Are you sure you don't know what happened?"

The young witch swallowed nervously, her throat dry. "Well . . . i-it was dark . . . really dark. I-I couldn't see anything. I just know that . . . that I heard . . . her . . ."

Raven fell silent after that, the mad cackling of Courtly and the disruptive explosions she made nothing but a distant distraction that she easily ignored. All that she was aware of was Maddie wrapping her arms around her and giving her a tight, warm hug. She returned it full force, burying her head into the Hatter's shoulder and thick, messy curls as if she were trying to hide herself away from the world; it was a nice thought, disappearing from reality and not having to worry about anything, even if it was impossible.

"Oh, Raven . . . it's happening again, isn't it?" Maddie asked.

"Maybe . . . I-I really hope not . . ."

"I don't either, but a dog will always fail if all it does is chase its tail."

Raven allowed the corners of her lips to curve just the slightest. "I guess . . . but that doesn't mean I'm going to like it."

"Does a Cheshire like water?"

The witch's eyes widened and she grabbed Maddie by the shoulders. "Kitty! Where are Kitty, Apple, and Briar?" she asked with worry.

Raven felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and a slight weight rest itself upon her shoulders. She glanced out of the corner of her eye and watched as a familiar set of lips and bright smile appeared from thin air, followed by a pair of mischievous, blue eyes with cat-like pupils and light, fair skin that spread out into a rounded face. Next came the lavender hair and the rounded shoulders that tapered into the extravagant dress that wrapped around her figure like an ornate and brightly colored blanket, followed by a pair of elegant legs and a long, feline tail from which the end hung a clock whose hands never told the right time.

Kitty smiled impishly. "Someone say my name?"

"Where are Apple and Briar?" Raven asked anxiously.

The Daughter of the Cheshire Cat pulled on her shoulder and peeked out from behind the pile of presents they had taken cover behind, directing the witch's attention towards another pile some ways away. Tucked away at the base of the heap were Apple and Briar, hunkering down and trying to avoid the attention of Courtly as she crazily went about blasting everything in sight with her newfound power; the Storybook of Legends was nowhere to be seen.

"Look at you now, cowering like the cockroaches you were always meant to be!" Courtly cackled as she pitched a series of pulsating orbs in a collection of random directions and listened gleefully to the following explosions. "Oh, how the mighty have fallen!"

No sooner had the harlequin said those words than did a small little creature whose head looked oddly similar to that of a bomb come flying from out of her nowhere, land at her feet, and promptly explode, sending her toppling down the pile of presents she had so precariously perched herself upon.

"Oh, the irony. It is delicious." Skurd hummed with approval as Ben and Lizzie made their entrance into the Present Room. It had been a solid hour or so of searching the entire palace for any sign of the troublesome jester, but once the distant din of unauthorized explosions that did not immediately tie to the Queen of Heart's temper reached their ears, it was only a matter of time before they found Courtly and the others.

"I'll say. Not bad, Snot-Pocket." Ben approved as he blew a short breath over the barrel of the Bombardian limb that had taken up a portion of his right arm and shoulder.

"I have a name you know." the Slimebiote huffed with annoyance as he returned the Bombardian genetic sample back to the Omnitrix.

Lizzie quickly put an end to a potential argument before it started. "At the moment, I believe we have more pressing matters." she directed their attention towards the tower of gifts they had just blasted to bits.

Through the slowly dissipating smoke, Courtly pulled herself back up with the Evil Queen's spellbook clutched tightly in her grip and a look of absolutely derangement upon her face. "You again!?" she hissed venomously. "Why must you always be a constant pain in my ass!? Why can't you just leave me alone to subjugate the world to my will!?"

The Princess of Hearts decided to ignore the rather unhinged tone of the jester and pulled three playing cards from up her sleeve that she held between her fingers, ready to be thrown like shurikens at a moments notice. "I'll give you one chance, Courtly," she glared at the joker. "Surrender now or it's off with your head!"

"NEVER!" the Daughter of the Joker Card spat as she viciously flipped through the pages of the spellbook and began to recite another spell. "You think you can stop me, not in your wildest dreams! Lock them in tight so no-one can hear their screams!"

A blast of hot arcane magic burst forth from the jester's pointed finger and sailed over Lizzie and Ben's head, crashing into the set of enormous doors that yawned open behind them. With a low groan and a thunderous boom! as they banged shut, the doors to the Present Room locked themselves up tightly and sealed them in, trapping them.

The young monarch sighed wearily. "And here I was hoping we could avoid the card tricks this time. It looks like we'll have to use force."

Ben smirked as he brought a hand down on the Omnitrix disk that occupied right wrist and was promptly engulfed in a blast of intense, green light. His fingers ground and cracked, twitching violently as his hands faded into an inky blackness that oozed its way up his arms like hot tar in the sun. Across the shoulders and down his front and back it went, criss-crossing over one another in a beautiful display of abyssal coloring; his fingernails twitched and cracked when they morphed into hollow, plug-like digits the color of copper. The brunette's spine arched and spat out a long, whip-like tail with a plug-like appendage at the tip that cracked back and forth with anticipation. Highly conductive muscle and sinew weaved their way in intricate patterns beneath his skin, swelling his figure to nearly twice its previous height. His chest pulsed and his toes tore through his shoes in the form of a pair of padded talons whole every last strand of hair on his body was shed in favor of the familiar, black tone that enveloped his body. Ben's teeth crunched while they into sharp fangs, his eyes molding together into a single, green orb, and a pair of long, elastic antennae unrolling from the back of his scalp like dreadlocks. A strip of green raced its way down his chest and abdomen and the Omnitrix and Skurd reappeared upon his collarbone, completing the transformation.

"I was hoping you'd say that!" Feedback grinned, his fingers already crackling with electricity.

Courtly only hesitated the slightest of seconds before she cast the same spell again and summoned forth half a dozen balls of unstable energy that orbited around her fingers like miniature planets. With a flick of her wrist she sent one of the oscillating orbs flying straight at the Conductoid and watched with glee as he and Lizzie dove out of the way of the resulting explosion.

"Oh, hold still!" the harlequin seethed as she tried to hit Lizzie with two of the orbs and missed her in a pair of explosions of presents and gifts. The princess responded with her playing cards, sending them spinning through the air with a flick of her wrist; the first whizzed past Courtly's head by mere inches and the other two cards found their mark, slicing across her arm and stomach like a pair of razorblades. The joker only had a moment to duck before Lizzie whipped out another three cards and sent them flying over her head where they exploded.

Courtly snarled as she pulled another another mass of magical energy from between the pages of the Evil Queen's spellbook and hurled it right back at the Princess of Hearts, yelping with surprise when a ball of energy exploded at her feet and sent her tumbling down the mountain of presents. The joker card glowered at Feedback and quickly rolled out of the way as he joined his fingers together, formed another energy ball from his plug-like tips, and pitched it right at her like a baseball.

The joker card growled. "I have had just about enough of you!"

Feedback flashed his trademark grin. "Aw, and just when I thought we were starting to get along!"

The jester's response was to hurriedly flip through the pages of the spellbook again before she settled on what she hoped to be a devastatingly detrimental spell. "You're more trouble that you're worth, that much it may seem, so let me put an end to you with a destructive beam!"

With those words, she held the book out in front of her with the folio open wide as a scorching, continuous jet of arcane energy erupting forth from the pages and right at Feedback. The Conductoid hardly even flinched and merely crossed his arms over his chest with that ever cocky grin of his when he whipped out his antennae at the oncoming beam and effortlessly absorbed the powerful beam surging straight at him; he could feel the energy flow through him like an electric charge, it made him feel so alive!

"Now you know why I like this guy so much!" he laughed.

Courtly could only watch with frustration as the Conductoid front flipped over her with a small discharge from his conductive fingertips and landed behind her, releasing all the energy he had absorbed right back at her at a high intensity. The harlequin screamed as she was thrown across the Present Room and through several heaps and mounds of presents, her nerves crying out in pain at the energy firing through her body. The spellbook nearly fell from her hands as she shakily climbed to her feet and quickly dove out of the way of a short barrage of explosive playing cards, courtesy of Lizzie.

The Daughter of the Joker Card felt like a cornered animal. She was outmatched and there was nowhere that she could run where she couldn't be captured. If she stayed in the Present Room, the pretentious princess and her shape-shifting lapdog – along with the rest of their irritating entourage – she was freshly sliced toast sticks and if she tried to flee the palace grounds, she would undoubtedly be apprehended by the guards or become a wanted criminal and spend the rest of her days on the run.

She felt the Evil Queen's spellbook pulse with the promise of power in her hands and a smile of relief and cogitation crossed her lips. She cracked open the manuscript and carefully perused through the pages, bypassing spells that would have turned some poor sap into a salamander and others that would have shuffled the functions of every hole in their face – she wanted to save those specifically for Lizzie when she was ruler of Wonderland – until she found a spell that made her shiver at the anticipation.

Courtly quickly glanced around at the piles upon piles of treasures and tributes before her eyes settled on a decently sized club that tucked away beneath embroidered pillows and golden serving trays patterned with silver hearts and bronze spades; her conspiring simper only broadened as she pulled out the bludgeon and glanced back at the spellbook before she began to recite the incantation.

"Listen spirits and listen well, you will do as I am about to tell. Make this weapon unbeatable by all, make all the mightiest warriors fall! Invincible and indestructible to all that may oppose, strike them fierce and fast with crushing blows! This is what I command of thee with this spell, make their bruises punish and make them swell!"

The heavy bat glowed a luminous lilac and was abruptly swallowed in a flash of crackling flames that burned an unnatural, chilling cold against her legs; this would have normally warded anyone away from touching the cursed weapon, but Courtly was all but beside herself with glee. She picked the club up and tested its weight, finding to be just the right balance for her, a practical perfect fit. And here it would have most likely rotted away in the Queen of Heart's Present Room, wasting away.

A shame that a weapon with such potential was to be wasted on the foolish.

No sooner had the jester cast the spell than did the mountain of presents in front of her suddenly explode in a blast of electricity and playing cards, nearly making her jump out of her skin when a vindictive princess and vivacious Conductoid precipitously appeared through the shower of gift box, colorful wrappings, and shiny trinkets.

"I won't repeat myself again, Courtly. Surrender now." Lizzie threatened, her fingers twitching to throw a playing card right between the joker's eyes.

Feedback grinned presumptuously as he joined his fingers together and formed a pulsating energy ball in each hand. "Or haven't you gotten enough of a shock yet?"

"Take it from someone who has to endure these horrible puns and give up now before you have to hear any more of them!" Skurd urged her, earning a baleful look from his host.

Courtly however, was hardly in a listening mood. Before anyone knew what was happening, she lunged straight at Lizzie and cracked the club across the young monarch's face, causing her stumble and loose her grip on her cards as she saw stars. The jester took the opportunity to then jam the butt of her bat into her gut and then swing the instrument with all her might, slamming Lizzie in the stomach and bringing her down under her unstable legs.

"Lizzie!" Feedback cried out.

Being an opportunist, Courtly was more than happy to take advantage of the distracted Conductoid and proceeded to club him in the back of the head, earning a loud yelp from him as he collapsed to his knees and whirled around on her; the plug-like tips that decorated his fingers, antennae, and tail glowed hotly with electricity as he whirled around and lashed out his tendrils like a pair of whips. The joker card effortlessly ducked and leaped over his attempts before nailing him in the jaw with her club.

A sadistic smile inched itself across her lips when he stumbled back, rubbing his aching mandible with a wary glare."Oh, come now, is that the best you can do?"

The Conductoid glowered at her, wiping his chin with the back of his hand as lightning danced across his knuckles. Courtly had mere seconds to react before his fist shot out, very nearly connecting with her jaw had she not juked out of the way in time. Before he could have even responded, the harlequin hooked the club around his arm and locked it in place before roughly twisting into a position it most certainly not have been bent in.

"AAAAGH!" Feedback howled with pain.

It was like sweet music to her ears. Courtly roughly retched the club free of the Conductoid's arm and jammed the butt of the weapon into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him as she then proceeded to clobber him across the face with a loud crack! Feedback growled he attempted to slug her, electricity lashing between his fingers as he swung once, twice, three times at her and missed while she danced back with each lung before swinging her club and striking him right in the face with a sickening sound that made all that could hear it wince.

Even as his footing faltered and he threatened to collapse, the Daughter of the Joker Card didn't let up and swung her bat again, hitting him square in the jaw and taking him down for the count as he tumbled down the mountain of presents and gifts and landed on his back with a groan.

But Courtly was far from finished. A soft moan caught her attention and her barbarous grin broadened to the widest it had ever been at the sight of the opportunity presented to her. With that ever spiteful smile on her lips, she shouldered her club and sauntered for to the collapsed form of Lizzie as if she had all the time in the world to waste. The princess shifted slightly, propping herself on her elbows as she glared up at the joker with what had to be the single most hate-filled look she had ever seen.

Without ceremony, Courtly lashed with her bat and struck Lizzie across the face. The young monarch was sent sprawling, landing on her side with a pained hiss.

The jester tut-tutted with a cluck of her tongue. "Well, now, that looked like it really hurt."

Lizzie didn't respond, even when the joker raised her bat again and brought it down on her back, each strike more rough and painful than the last.

"Oh, hold up! That looked like it hurt a lot more," she noted, patting the blunt instrument in her hand with that ever cruel smile of hers. "So let's try and clear this up, little Lizzie? What hurts more? This . . . or that?" she asked, bringing the bat down even more arduously with either 'option'.

To her credit, the Princess of Hearts remained resolute even with Courtly beating her senseless with her carcinogenic club. As tenacious and resilient as her people were, the concussions dealt to her shoulders, back, and legs felt like powerful hammer blows that painted her fair skin a palette of purple, black, and blue bruises and made her body cry out in protest whenever she so much as moved; ancestors, it was even starting to get difficult to breathe, but the young monarch merely chalked that up to being overly stressed.

"This little princess was a stuck-up brat," Courtly playfully recited as she brought the bat down on Lizzie's head, detrimentally breaking the neck of the stuffed flamingo perched upon her head.

"And this little princess whined all day," the club was slammed into her side, knocking the wind from her.

"This little princess always got what she wanted," a blow slammed down on her chest, bruising several ribs.

"This little princess cried like a baby when she didn't," the truncheon mercilessly hit her hard enough to knock Lizzie back onto her back.

The look of sick satisfaction on Courtly's face made her blood boil, what blood that wasn't dripping from her busted lip and the wounds to her temples and shoulders. Stinging welts that pulsed a blistering red decorated her ivory skin between splashes of azure and ebony, forming swelling lumps and bumps all over her body; her right eye was nearly swollen shut from such injuries and the rest of her face was starting to bloat like a pufferfish. Her chest rose shallowly, as if fighting for breath through what had to be several contused ribs and maybe even a collapsed lung. Her legs refused to function and her arms and hands had difficulty in focusing their movements enough to reach for the rest of her playing card stash; and yet, her burning hatred for the jester never faltered.

The harlequin planted her boot on Lizzie's chest, pressing down and squeezing what little air she had out of her like a pair of bellows. "And this little princess . . ." Courtly raised her club over her head with both hands, a wild look in her eyes. "This little princess won't see the light of another day!"

The Princess of Heart's only response was to spit in the jester's face, staining her cheek with a spot of crimson blood.

With a scream of disgust, the joker kicked Lizzie in the dry with a loud crack! and coolly wiped the red stain from her face. "Now that was rude. I thought royalty was suppose to have manners," she growled sourly when she noticed the princess's defiant glare never wavered. "I guess I'm going to have to teach you a lesson so you can better set an example for your subjects . . . or I could just keep beating you with my new toy until you can't breathe anymore. I don't know about you, but I like the second option better!"

Courtly's clownish smile was all Lizzie could focus on while her tormentor raised her bludgeon over her head with both hands, ready to smash the young monarch's face in.

"Hands off, Circus Reject!"

The Daughter of the Joker Card perked up at the insult and turned to jump out of the way just as a bolt of electricity exploded at her feet, knocking her back and generally aggravating her even further when she saw Feedback slowly climbing to his feet; the Conductoid was bruised and obviously injured from the way he winced when he lifted his arm, but otherwise still had a decent amount of fight left in him.

"Come now, Ben, must we fight like this?" Courtly asked with a sweet, playful manner. "I mean, I'm going to be offering you the position of King of Wonderland here! All you have to do is let me . . . dispose of your little friends, and we can live happily ever after. How's that sound?"

"Sounds to me like you've lost your marbles."

The jester gritted her teeth and gripped her club even tighter. "I'll show you whose lost their marbles!" she screeched when she charged straight at him.

"Skurd? I'm gonna need some back up!" the Conductoid braced himself.

"And away we go!" the Slimebiote quipped as he accessed a genetic sample within the Omnitrix' extensive library and set to work altering his host's genes. Vivid maroon-tinted plates bubbled forth from deep within his tissue and settled on the surface of his ebony skin, molding together with a loud clattering sound until they had formed a durable, red, carbon polymer exoskeleton over his wrists and knuckles. His arms contorted with a noisy clattering noise when more yellow-colored and azure-dyed plates rose from his inky skin, traveling up his arms and becoming more angular in structure. From the back of his hand rose a pair of red disks that quickly spiraled outward in a shower of the primary colors to form a pair of large, rounded shields.

Feedback grinned as he looked over the Segmentasapien arms he had been gifted. "Nice! I think I'll call these babies the Bloxx Party!"

Skurd sighed wearily. "I swear, your puns are getting– watch out!"

The Conductoid jumped at the warning and raised the Bloxx Party at the last second, blocking the initial blow and skidding back under the extreme pressure exerted. His antennae could literally smell the power radiating from the club that Courtly wielded and it was absolutely overpowering, it almost made him gag from the sheer amount of power it gave off; each blow that the harlequin dealt to the Bloxx Party felt like he was being rammed by a freight train. It was one of the reasons why he was so glad to be in alien form. Unlike humans that had evolved to tolerate and even take advantage of Wonderland's harsh environment, his own human form was a considerably more . . . squishy.

Feedback gritted his teeth, his arms aching with every strike of Courtly's bludgeon. Every impressive impact literally drove him further and further down into the sea of trinkets and treasures that covered the Present Room floor in a ridiculous depth. He was already up to his knees in gifts and he could already feel the Bloxx Party start to give way, bits and pieces of it flying off in all directions with every blow that the jester dealt.

"I don't suppose you've got any other tricks up your sleeve?" Skurd mused hopefully.

"Not . . . r-really . . !" the Conductoid bit through the pain snaking through his quivering trembling arms. The impacts of Courttly's club were becoming far more painful the more of the Segmentasapien shields were chipped away and the more that had to be repaired; he just simply couldn't keep up with the joker card's rage-induced concussions.

"What's the matter, Ben? Can't roll with the punches?" the jester hissed venomously.

"Insert heroic line here!"

Courtly jerked her head in the direction of the proclamation. "What!?"

WHAM!

From seemingly out of nowhere, the hammerhead of a massive mallet slammed itself into the harlequin's side, knocking her off and away from Feedback and into a pile of silken pillows and blankets; with an infuriate scream the joker tore them to shreds, her grip around her club white knuckled while she seethed with rage; who had the audacity to attack her in her moment of triumph!?

She soon got her answer when she caught sight of none other than Maddie wielding an enormous hammer that should have been impossible for someone of her size and stature to heave over her shoulder, much less even pick up. By her side stood Kitty brandishing her claws with a feral smile, Raven with a look of fury while she cradled a pair of hot, purple flames in the palms of her hands, and Briar striking a martial arts pose that she hoped at least looked threatening in her ballgown dress.

"Get away from our boyfriend!" the Hatter exclaimed "Or in Briar's case, her friend! Acquaintance? Colleague? Briar, what exactly is your relationship with Ben?"

"Not the time, Maddie!

"Enough!" Courtly growled. "You honestly think you have the power to stop me?"

"You're outnumbered five to one," Feedback remarked as he pulled himself out of the hole the joker had driven him into like a nail and brushed himself off while the Bloxx Party repaired themselves. "The odds aren't exactly in your favor."

The Daughter of the Joker Card gave a shrill laugh at that. "Ah, but you see, the great thing about being a joker is that the odds are always in your favor when you're the wild card. Nobody ever expects the wild card!"

"And nobodyexpects the Spanish Inquisition!" Maddie retorted at the top of her lungs as she charged madly at the jester with hammer at the ready.

The cunning smile that Courtly gave as the Hatter rushed blindly at her sent shivers up Apple's spine from her cover behind the jumbled mess of a dining room table set made of dogwood that had been barking and whimpering like a puppy during the whole skirmish. The young monarch watched as Maddie surged forward, swung her mallet with all her might, and missed as Courtly effortlessly leaped over her in a single bound and delivered a crush blow to the back of her head. The Hatter landed hard on her face and didn't get up, her hat falling off her head and her hammer tumbling far out of reach down the side of the present mountain.

Kitty came dashing at her next, hissing like a wild cat as she attempted to slash the joker with her claws, only to be nailed directly in the head and sent down for the count; she gave a soft groan, her fingers twitching ever so slightly as she faded.

Raven and Brair shared a look with one another before they simultaneously raced as fast as possible, the witch readying a spell under her breath and the princess preparing – and hoping – to strike one of the Courtly's weak spots, or at least try and retch that horrible bat of hers free from her clutches. The harlequin merely gave a devious look before she smacked Briar in the temple and walloped Raven upside the head in one move, knocking both of them out with a single hit.

It all seemed to happen in slow motion after that. Apple could only watch as the joker card playfully tossed the enchanted club around in her hands like it was a child toy before carelessly swinging it over her shoulder and smashing Feedback right in the face with a sickening crack! The sound alone made ever last hair on the back of the princess's neck stand on end and the sight of him finally giving in and collapsing at Courtly's feet would forever haunt her nightmares; the Omnitrix timed out with a series of dying beeps and a blast of fluorescent, green light swept over the Conductoid's figure, returning him to his original form.

Ben gave a soft groan as Courtly planted her foot on his chest and cackled manically. "Ha ha ha hah! Nothing can stop me now!"

That was when Apple snapped.

Never before in all her days did Lizzie ever think she would see the day that prim and proper Apple White would scare her. This was the princess who slept with an apple-shaped nightlight to keep the Boogeyman at bay, the princess who often cowered like a frightened child during a scary movie that would have bored the Princess of Hearts out of her mind, the princess that had never been in a single fight in her entire life; and yet, it was that same princess that looked like she was out for blood.

Courtly perked up at the sound of shuffling gift boxes and wrapping paper and her shrewd smile only broadened when she saw Apple come barreling at her like an enraged bull. "Aw, looks like the little apple blossom stayed up past her bedtime," she taunted as she raised her bludgeon over her head for a devastating blow. "Allow me to put you to sleep!"

And yet, when the bat came crashing down on Apple's skull, the Daughter of Snow White didn't stop. She might as well have had been hit over the head with a pillow; as if to add insult to injury, the club even squeaked like a squeaky toy!

"What!? How did- UGAHJHAGAJFGH!" Courtly choked as the young monarch's fingers closed around her windpipe with consternating crushing force. Her hands flew to her throat, dropping the bewitched bludgeon as she clawed at Apple's trembling, tense grip. An air of dread overwhelmed the jester when she gazed into the princess's fiery eyes, cringing when she noticed that every last shred of sweetness and innocence had vanished in favor of unbridled rage and fury, as if she were fire incarnate.

She had done it.

She had finally pushed her too far.

"You . . ." Apple growled with an edge that was completely unlike her. "How dare you beat up my friends!? How dare you threaten Wonderland and Ever After!? How dare you beat up my boyfriend!? What have you possibly got to gain from all of this? Compared to other fairy tales, you're living the dream, you ungrateful little . . . ugh! You're a court jester, you're suppose to be laughed at! That's it! No sudden death, no humiliating defeat, no ironic negative consequence based off something you set in motion, nothing! You joke, jest, pratfall here and there, we all laugh, that's it! You're just a whiny, stuck-up little brat who can't handle the hand she's been dealt without suffering the consequences of your actions! YOU'RE HORRIBLE!" the princess seethed.

"Gchjk . . . would this . . . be a bad time to say . . . I'm sorry . . ?" Courtly choked out.

The only reply Apple gave was a swift and sudden punch to the harlequin's face with a thunderous crack! that snapped her head back and knocked her flat on her back, delirious with blood pouring from her nose. If the Daughter of Snow White even noticed that her hand was conceivably broken, she didn't show it and instead scooped up the charmed club that Courtly had been wielding before the jester could have a hope of reaching it.

And like an upset five-year old venting out their frustrations on the object that had earned their ire, Apple proceeded to beat the joker card senseless with the bat like a brightly-colored pinata.

There had never been a moment in Courtly's entire life when she had been more terrified than now with the normally generous and gentle Apple White finally losing her patience and taking her anger out on her with a weapon that she had enchanted to be nigh unstoppable, so long as it remained in the wielder's hands. But even now, as she was being beaten black and blue by Apple, the jester knew there was no way she was going to get the club back anytime soon, not with how furious the princess was with her; it was like she was finally venting her frustrations . . . which there seemed to be a lot of . . . what they all could possibly be, the joker didn't have the faintest idea, but she had her suspicions that she may have hit on Ben one too many times . . . may have . . .

Despite the fact that she knew quite literally everything would hurt even more come morning, Courtly still had one last ace up her sleeve . . . she hoped. Using the last bit of her energy, she hurriedly clambered to her hand and knees and scrambled away from the deranged princess as fast as possible; after suffering multiple blows to her back and legs, the harlequin's salvation came in the form of a large, ivory wardrobe decorated with hearts and spades. With little option left, she scrabbled for the open wardrobe, slammed the hatches shut behind her, and pressed herself against the back panel as much as possible while Apple viciously hammered away at the doors.

With sweat pouring from her brow and shaky hands, Courtly fumbled for the Evil Queen's spellbook and urgently searched through the pages, skimming through any spells and enchantments that she hoped would be moderately useful; each powerful blow to the wardrobe doors made her heart jump with fright.

"Oh, thank Grimm!" the jester sighed with relief when came across an incantation that seemed to be just what she was looking for. "Now let's see . . . cauldron burn and cauldron bubble, cast me a spell to get out of trouble! To raise the dead is what I command of thee! Bring forth a corpse most beastly! Fill it with breath and give it life, make it vicious and cruel and full of strife!" she chanted.

At first nothing happened – save for the continuous banging on the doors from Apple that were starting to give way – and Courtly could have sworn that she had been played the fool. Just before she was about to try another spell in a futile, she felt a tremendous tremor shook her to her core; the brass knobs and handles of the wardrobe rattled and the drawers quivered in the sockets nosily. From outside she could hear towers of treasures collapse and gifts and presents be pushed aside alongside Apple's startled shouts, though for the like of her the jester didn't have the foggiest idea what was going on. All that she knew was that it felt like she was right in the middle of an earthquake.

Was the curse upon Wonderland finally coming to consume them all?

The Daughter of the Joker Card had to know. With the spellbook tucked under her arm, she carefully pushed the doors to the wardrobe open and dared to steal a peek out, only slightly worried that she would suddenly have her face bashed in by a demented princess. The sea of brightly-colored wrappings and gift boxes was shifting and rolling angrily before her, as if some gigantic beast was lurking just beneath the surface down below in the darkness.

The jester could do nothing but watch in awe as an enormous, skeletal foot suddenly and slowly rose from the depths of the presents, slamming down with tremendous force as it was followed by its immediate brethren; each claw-tipped digit was easily bigger than she was tall. The limbs slowly pulled upwards as if under great strain and bit by bit gave way to powerful, bony limbs from which bits and pieces of decaying flesh clung for any foothold possible. The ridge of the creature's back came next, skeletal and yellowed with age and from this, emerged a pair of spikes fixed to a second pair of limbs positioned behind the first that dramatically dwarfed anything Courtly had ever seen. They stretched further and farther, impossibly wide until their true identity had finally been revealed: a set of titanic, draconian wings between which hung a thin, rotting membrane that seemed to be barely held in place by the few remaining strips of sinew and tissue that had been too stubborn to succumb to decay. The skull was next to emerge, gigantic and reptilian in nature with a set of double jaws – one positioned right below the other – each lined with row upon row of razor-sharp teeth. Horns curved back along the serpentine neck and three pairs of eye sockets glowed with a fiery, purple vengeance that seemed to emanate from the creature's rib cage.

The creature suddenly bellowed an ear-splitting roar, a sound that chilled Courtly to the bone when she heard it; she knew she would never forget it. The skeletal monstrosity now moved faster, pulling itself out from its tomb beneath the sea of presents and tributes, beneath the palace that had been built upon its final resting place, beneath the very depths of Wonderland itself. It only seemed to get bigger the more it pulled itself free of its earthen shackles with a set of powerful hind legs and a long, bony tail that seemed to stretch even longer than the creature's entire body. The wings were pushed to their widest span, easily dwarfing the entire body as searing hot, lavender and lilac flames licked hungrily at the ancient bones, roaring hot and fierce from the furnace buried within the fossilized jabberwocky's ribcage.

Courtly couldn't help but giggle giddily at the sight of the titanic monster standing protectively in front of her, a low growl and mauve sparks curling forth from its timeworn jaws as it stood protectively over her; the sheer amount of pride she had simply couldn't compare. The harlequin couldn't help but feel a wide smile creep across her lips when she saw Apple standing before the skeletal jabberwocky with the enchanted bat held before her in a white knuckle grip. She was quivering, trying to bravely hold her ground in front of the ancient beast while it examined her with a suspicious look and clattering of its teeth.

"Thank you, Evil Queen," Courtly grinned at the spellbook in her possession before tucking it away for safe keeping. If she was right, things were about to get very messy. "Now then . . . what's that word I'm looking for . . .? Ah, yes. ATTACK!" she jammed a finger in the direction of Apple, screaming at the top of her lungs.

The Daughter of Snow White swallowed nervously as the jabberwocky skeleton rumbled and drew itself up to its full height with a clattering of its bones. She attempted to brave herself in the face of imminent death, reasoning that she had Courtly's club – a weapon that had taken down her boyfriend of all people with only a few swings – and thus stood some chance of surviving so long as she kept a god grip on it.

That didn't mean she nearly wet herself when the gigantic beast bellowed straight in her face, it's hot breath washing over her like a tidal wave and nearly threatening to yank away the oversized, red bow that clung to her head for dear life.

Despite the very intimidating gesture, Apple held her ground and struck the skeletal jabberwocky in both of its jaws with a quick punch, earning a loud crack! as its skull snapped to the side. The gargantuan corpse froze was a second, as if it could hardly believe that a creature as small and delicate as the young monarch bravely cowering before it had dared to slap it across the face. With a low growl reverberating from the deep within its rib cage that nosily rattled its bones, the jabberwocky glowered venomously at Apple before its jaws suddenly snapped forward with lightning speed and clamped tightly around the blunt end of the bludgeon, locking it in place between two enormous fangs.

A low whimper of fear escaped the princess as she was effortlessly lifted off the ground with her grip tight and firm on the bat's handle, hoping desperately that the beast wasn't going to do what she thought it was going to do. Her fears were unfortunately confirmed when the jabberwocky roughly shook its head like a bulldog, swinging her back and forth in a motion so jarring that she thought that the oyster surprise she had eaten for lunch would come crawling back up from her stomach.

All the while she was desperately thinking to herself, don't let go. Don't let go. Don't let go. Don't let go. With knuckles whiter than ivory she hung onto the club for dear life as she was swung up and down, left and right, over and under, and in every possible direction while forcing herself to not let go.

As by some cruel twist of fate however, her fingers refused to listen to her innermost thoughts and suddenly slipped from the club's handle, sending falling a fair distance down to the sea of presents far below where she landed (rather painfully) on a golden, spade-studded music box. Ignoring the dull pain in her hips from her rough landing, Apple could do nothing else but watch as the fossilized jabberwocky gave a sudden snap of its head and released its hold on the enchanted truncheon from its bottommost jaws, sending the blunt instrument flying far . . . far . . . far . . . far away . . . and far out of her reach.

Courtly steepled her fingers with cruel disposition as the jabberwocky turned to settle its hollow, six-eyed glare on the trembling princess that cowered before it's incredible power. "My, how the tables have turned yet again," she chuckled darkly. "You probably should have stuck to being a useless and helpless damsel-in-distress . . . oh, well, we all learn from our mistakes. Well, you won't I suppose." her smile broadened as she briefly turned her attention towards the monstrous collection of rot-covered bones and uttered a single pair of words that sent a chill down Apple's spine.

"Sic 'er."

The Daughter of Snow White felt all the blood drain from her face as purple fire and lightning angrily leaped across the collage of reanimated bones from the boiling furnace protected within the jabberwocky's rib cage, dancing a violent waltz up its long neck and along it formidable jaws. The soulless eye sockets illuminated with an eerie, purple glare while an ominous glow slowly built up in the back of the beast's throat.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!HHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Ben! Ben!"

"Come on, Ben, snap out of it!"

The brunette groaned and pushed away the pair of pestering voices at the edge of his consciousness. His entire body hurt like it had never hurt before in his entire life. It felt worse than going toe-to-toe with Vilgax in the Conqueror's Challenge, worse than fighting against Diagon, worse than taking on Zs'Skayr and corrupted counterparts of his past love interests; it hurt like all the aftermaths of those battles rolled into one. His head was pounding like a bass drum and his arms legs pulsed and refused to move under his command; they might as well have been nothing more than limp, fleshy noodles.

"Ben, you need to wake up!"

He didn't want to get up. It hurt too much to be awake, much less barely conscious and only thinking. He just wanted to be left alone so that his aching body could finally rest and begin the natural process of taking care of his injuries; he didn't know how long it would be, but it was better than waking up and having to endure the pain. The brunette felt a pair of cool hands cup his face and he leaned into the soothing touch, feeling an overwhelming sense of tranquility overcome him; his body began to relax and loosen itself of its tension . . .

RRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGG!

Ben yelped as he was jolted awake and sat straight up, panting heavily as he looked around with wild eyes for the source of the obnoxious sound that had retched him from his slumber. He soon got his answer when he caught sight of Raven and Maddie kneeling by his side with an apologetic – but nonetheless big – smile on the latter's face and a trembling, ringing alarm clock in her hands that was held a little too close to his ears for his liking.

Looking around he saw that the rest of the girls had come to and were nursing various injuries of varying degrees. Kitty was wincing as she rubbed what to be a particularly sore spot to the back of her head while Briar seemed to be suffering from a headache if the way she cringed every time she touched her temples was anything to go by; Lizzie however, looked the absolute worst by far. Cuts and bruises littered her once perfect skin and one of her eyes had been completely swollen shut with blood dripping from her busted lips. She looked like she was in complete agony and yet looked like she wanted to and was capable of murdering a certain jester if she ever got the chance.

"Sorry about that, Ben." Raven apologized as Maddie took off her large top hat (revealing a large, egg-shaped lump to her skull that strangely had a happy face with X's for eyes scribbled on it in marker) and deposited the still ringing alarm clock inside before setting her hat back in place.

Skurd huffed indignantly . "It's about time you woke up. As I recall, you aren't the one that's suppose to be woken by True Love's kiss!"

Ben ignored the biting comment once he realized with horror that was something was very wrong. "Where's Apple?" he asked with a slight edge to his voice.

An answer soon came to him in the form of an all too familiar scream and the hair's on the back of his neck immediately pricked up when he realized that there was an unfamiliar, thunderous bellowing that accompanied the terrified shrieks of his girlfriend. With a sudden burst of energy, Ben jumped to his feet and hastily ascended the side of a teetering treasure tower until he had reached the summit and stole a peak over the lip.

With eyes wide with horror, he watched as Apple staggered and stumbled over the uneasy landscape of presents and tributes with a gargantuan collection of jabberwocky bones chasing after her. The beast radiated with strength and power, bellowing at the top of its no longer existent lungs while it billowed out blast after blast, torrent after torrent of thick, smoky, scorching fiery breath that instantly began to hungrily devour everything it touched like a pack of starving wolves. The air began to fill with ashy smoke and crisp, smoldering embers as presents and wrapping paper burned like ciders, filling the air with a suffocating smell that forced its way uninvited into one's nose and lungs and never left.

Ben didn't waste a second. As if by some protective instinct, he courageously vaulted over the peak of the mountain of gifts and slid down the slope like he was riding a snowboard before he shot straight off an ornate writing desk as if it were a ramp and soared through the air; as if by some mental link, Skurd had already selected a genetic sample from the Omnitrix fused to his left shoulder blade and was rapidly modifying his host's genes as needed. His legs crunched and groaned in protest when his calves bent back at an odd ankle, forming a new joint with a series of disturbing crackling and splintering sounds of splitting ice. Ben's toes ripped out of his shoes and molded into a pair of bright blue claws as the ball of his heel crunched forward, forcing the bones in his feet to shift around until his new talons were gripping a perfectly polished, black orb between them; a long, whip-like tail decorated with black and blue stripes suddenly snaked out from the base of his spine, completing the transformation.

"Never fear, Skurd is here . . . right on target!" the Slimebiote cried vigorously with a clenched pseudopodium.

A loud crack! filled the air as Ben jabbed his new Kineceleran legs forward and delivered a swift kick to the jabberwocky's uppermost jaw before he proceeded to deliver a series of several dozen punts to the ancient bone in the time span of a couple of seconds before he finally touched down to the ground at Apple's side. Without a word, the brunette scooped up the startled princess in his arms and shot off at a blinding speed carrying her bridal style with her arms tightly thrown around his neck, leaving the monstrous corpse in complete bafflement.

"Don't just stand there! Get them!" Ben heard Courtly command.

"Be on the lookout! It's about to get hot in here!" Skurd shouted warningly.

Ben didn't need to look over his shoulder to know that the jabberwocky was chasing after them; a fiery blast of scorching embers soared over his head like a dying phoenix and exploded with blazing fury, popping an oversized pair of wooden dice like kernels of popcorn. Another smoldering stream of conflagration billowed overhead and ignited the mountain of presents in front of them, filling the air with a raging inferno that churned out an obscene amount of choking smoke and ashes.

He could feel Apple's grip tighten around his neck even further, very nearly threatening to choke him. "It's gaining on us!" she wailed over the beast's bellowing.

"Hang on! I'm gonna try and lose it!" the brunette shouted over the babel. With of his Kineceleran legs and a crack of his tail, Ben sped off in a blur of blue and green into the treacherous mountain ranges of the burning gifts and trinkets. He skillfully swerved back and forth as sizzling towering of treasures collapsed overhead, dodging burnt bunny slippers and scalded scepters and a gigantic, molten jack whose spikes and rounded edges were almost as big as him, or at least big enough to crush him if he hadn't effortlessly moved out of the way in time.

A jet of luminous, purple flame would slice through the thick blanket of smoke overhead every now and again, occasionally nearly striking him and Apple, but for the most part the jabberwocky seemed absolutely blind through the heavy, choking vapor; Ben quickly used that to his advantage and made several detours and deviations through the landscape of gifts, easily confusing and losing the jabberwocky's focus if the furious bellowing and Courtly's frustrated screams were anything to go by.

Apple was already having terrifying flashbacks of a certain apocalyptic future engulfed in flames and death that she would have been more than happy to forget and was shaking like a leaf in a hurricane by the time that Ben backtracked his way back to the girls, came to a screeching stop, and carefully set her down while Skurd habitually returned the Kineceleran DNA back to the Omnitrix's extensive genetic database.

The young monarch could scarcely believe what had just happened. It all seemed just like a distant memory, a dream, a lapse into the madness that permeated the air as heavily as the suffocating smoke. It made her sick to her stomach and tied her guts up into uncomfortable, twisted knots and yet . . . she had never felt more alive than when she smashed the club into Courtly's face. There was just something about the jester that ignited something within her that made beating her senseless feel so . . . therapeutic.

She merely chalked it up to the joker card hitting on her boyfriend one too many times.

"What are going to do? Courtly's going to find us sooner or later, and when she does-" Apple fretted anxiously.

"It won't come to that," Ben promised her firmly. "What we need is a plan . . . Courtly locked the door behind us when we came in, so backup's out of the question . . ."

"Can't you, I dunno, take her on by yourself? Maybe turn into that big Four Arms guy?" Briar suggested as she tore up a silken gown she had found among the piles of presents and used the tattered strips to bandage Lizzie's wounds.

Ben shook his head. "At this rate, there's no guarantee I'll get anything useful. For all I know, I could get turned into Walkatrout and we'd have one fried fish on our hands."

Lizzie bit back a pained hiss when the Daughter of Sleeping Beauty tightened the makeshift bandage around a particularly sensitive bruise on her arm, trying not to glare to furiously at the sheepish princess. "Well, it's Raven's mother's magic. Perhaps she can do something about it?"

"But Raven can't win – not without her full powers." Briar pointed out.

Maddie tapped her chin in thought. "But the only way she can get her full powers is if . . . oh, my spoons and garters!" the terrible realization came to her.

"What?" Raven didn't like the way everyone was looking at her – sans Ben and Skurd, who simply looked just as confused as she was. Her throat felt dry when she caught sight of the pitying glances they were all giving her before shifting their gaze elsewhere, as if they couldn't look her in the eye without being overwhelmed with guilt at some terrible truth that she was unaware of. The young witch almost wanted to stay ignorant, but the furious roars of the jabberwocky reminded her that they were running on borrowed time. "What is it? Tell me!" she asked earnestly.

The lump in Apple's throat felt like a rock when Raven's pleading gaze fell on her and she absentmindedly began to nervously twiddle her thumbs. "Raven . . . the only way for you to receive your full powers . . . is to sign your page in the Storybook of Legends."

Raven was already reeling. Her legs felt like they were going to give way from under her and they very well could have had Ben and Maddie not taken precautionary measures and held onto her shoulders to prevent any accidental falls; the witchling barely felt their comforting touch however. She was too busy trying to process the horrible information that she had just been fed and so desperately wanted to spit back out. After everything that she had worked so hard for, denying her destiny and sparking a revolution that finally had people questioning their backward tradition, it was to all be for naught?

Now she knew how Ben must have felt every time he claimed the universe was pulling some kind of cruel joke on him. The only way for her to save them all and prevent a madwoman from marching onto Wonderland was to forsake everything she had fought so hard for? It felt like the ultimate twist of irony.

"Apple, you can't be serious. Tell me you aren't serious." Ben seemed to plead with her.

The princess looked ashamed. "I'm sorry, Raven . . . I really, really am . . . but there's just no other way."

Ben however, wasn't having any of it. "No, there has to be another way, there just has to." he emphasized the word, as if he said it enough it might come true.

"As much as I would love to tell you that your dense skull has inhibited your ability to hear, dear boy, there is no other way." Skurd shook his head sadly from his perch upon the brunette's shoulder.

"We can't just-"

"Ben . . ." Raven cut him off, her voice cracked slightly. "There's no other way. I haveto do this . . . besides, signing the book doesn't mean I'll become the Evil Queen . . . right?"

The wielder of the Omnitrix wanted to protest, wanted to argue that he would find them all a way out of this mess, but all it took was one look at the witchling's resigned look for him to reluctantly give in; he had come to know that look far too well. It was the same look he always had whenever he made up his mind about a tough decision and if Raven was anything like him, he knew there would be little that could change her mind.

The brunette squeezed her shoulder. "Alright. It's worth a shot." he sighed. "But at least let me distract Courtly long enough for you to get the book."

"Are you sure that's safe?" Kitty asked, slightly concerned.

"It's worth a shot, dear girl." Skurd stated. "Never fear! I, Skurd, the Dollop with a Wallop, vow that I shall return your beloved spouse to you in as few pieces as possible!"

"Well this fills me with all kinds of comfort." Ben rolled his eyes.

Maddie suddenly jumped to her feet. "I volunteer as tribute!" she proclaimed. "I wanna be a distraction, too!"

Ben attempted to object, but realized that there was no point arguing with the Hatter's decision other than gaining a massive headache in the process. "Alright then . . . let's go over the plan: first, me and Maddie will create a distract to draw away Courtly's attention and hopefully keep ol' Dragonbreath busy. Meanwhile, everyone else will try to recover the Storybook of Legends before Courtly realizes what's going on. Are there any questions?"

"More like an objection," Lizzie grunted as she pushed Briar away and attempted to climb to her feet, her legs wobbling and threatening to give out from under her. "I refuse to stand by while you risk your neck! I'm coming with you, whether you like it or not!"

"Lizzie, you're-" Raven tried to reason with the Princess of Hearts.

"Injured? That may be, but I don't care!" Lizzie angrily stomped her foot, resisting the urge to cringe at the pain that shot through her aching muscles. "What kind of future queen would I be if I stood on the sidelines in Wonderland's darkest hour, regardless of injury? I would rather die than do absolutely nothing while that Circus Reject threatens to take over my country!"

Ben attempted to argue. "Lizzie, you can't-"

"Stop! That is quite enough!" the young monarch snarled when she drew herself up to her full height – despite the burning sensation in her legs and the way her knees quivered ever so slightly – and pulled her features into a cold, definitive mask. "As your princess and future queen, I hereby order you to allow me to accompany you or it will be off with your head!"

The group fell silent, unwilling to meet the Daughter of the Queen of Hearts gaze. It was more like they were afraid to look at her – Lizzie had a habit of being quite terrifying when she wanted to be, especially when she was being denied something that she already her mind set on. Once again, Ben took note of the similarities he and the princess shared when they were determined to make a decision and was questioning why he kept falling in love with such stubborn women.

As well as when he exactly fell in love with Lizzie in the first place . . .

"Quick, say she can come, dear boy, before she turns those horrible hands of hers upon us!" Skurd beseechingly whispered in his ear.

Ben ignored the Slimebiote. "Alright, if you're sure you can do it . . ."

"I would rather die than let that sadist jester threaten my country." Lizzie repeated with a dark tone.

The brunette couldn't help but give a small smile at the edgy remark. "I doubt it'll come to that," he reassured her. "Now then, is there anyone else who has a problem with the plan?"

Surprisingly – or unsurprisingly, depending on how one looked at it – Briar's hand shot straight up.

Ben sighed and pinched his brow. "Alright then . . . four of us on distraction duty, three of us on book-recovering detail . . . not exactly the worst plan I've had . . ."

"True," Skurd hummed in agreement. "You have concocted some rather dreadful strategies in your day."

"How about instead of making fun of me you give me a hand and try to pick an alien that might give us an edge?"

"Ooh, an excellent idea!" the Slimebiote exclaimed delightfully as he compressed himself down on the Omnitrix disk fused to his host's shoulder, enveloping the both of them in a blast of green light. The brunette's skin crackled like crumpling paper as it deepened into a light-orange color and split with the wet sounds of slapping flesh as two pairs of pulsing, red sacks rose from the tissue of his arms, filling with a vaporous kind of gas. His frame increased by a couple of feet with a series of crunching noises while his bones lengthened and steadily hollowed themselves out, making him light and flexible. Ben's hands trembled and twitched slightly before exploding into sharp, wicked claws as his toes ripped through his shoes in the former of newly-transformed talons. A hard casing began to form over his face, a white mask of some kind that obscured his face with a mischievous, sharp-tooth, purple grin and playful, green eyes. His tuxedo faded to a pure black, save for the sudden addition of a jigsaw, puzzle piece pattern across his jacket and pants; a cane tipped with an emerald top materialized in his hand and the Omnitrix and Skurd appeared upon his left breast pocket, completing the transfiguration.

"Vantablack with a hint of mantis green? I'm actually more of an Autumn." Jigsaw shrugged as he picked at his suit. "Here, doll face, ya might need this to help ya get around for a bit." the Dodgjierian handed his cane over to Lizzie with a playful wiggle of his eyebrows, turning her porcelain features a bright rosette.

"Well, if no one else will say it, I wish you all the best of luck . . . or at the very least, a lack of death. Flarg knows we need it." Skurd muttered quietly, as if dancing around fate.

Maddie giggled. "We don't need luck! All we need is a little bit of madness! Fortunately for you, I have enough for everyone!"

"That's what I'm afraid of." the Slimebiote mumbled as his host slung his arm around Lizzie's waist – turning her previously pink face a beet red – and followed the Hatter up the side of an imposing mound of gifts and offerings to scope things out while Raven, Apple, and Kitty slunk off as quietly as possible in the hopes of going about undetected.

It wasn't long before they came across their quarry – not that she was difficult to find. All one really had to do was follow the sound of Courtly's shrill voice spouting off commands at the top of her lungs and the consequential, fiery blasts from the skeletal jabberwocky as it rushed to obey the jester's onerous orders; there didn't appear to be much method to her madness either. From their position behind an ornamental statue of what might have been the Queen of Hearts (or could have very well been a hippo in a tutu being held up by an alligator), it looked like the joker card was simply having the jabberwocky destroy everything in sight without rhyme or reason, at least from Briar's perspective.

"So what's your plan for distracting her?" the princess whispered.

"Live bait, of course." Jigsaw replied as he took off his top hat and reached inside up to the elbow, rummaging around for something.

"Good idea." Briar grinned before she realized exactly what he was implying. "Hey!"

"Come on, Briar, it's the only way." Lizzie urged her.

"What do you want me to do, dress in drag and do the hula!?"

"Well, now that you mention it-"

The Daughter of Sleeping Beauty shot a cold look at the Dodgjierian. "Ben, I swear, if you have a hula skirt in there-"

Jigsaw immediately yanked his arm out of his hat and placed it back on his head, putting on an overly innocent look. "And whatever makes you think I would try to pull something like that?" he asked with an over the top naive tone.

"Briar, is there something you have to tell us?" Maddie asked with a suggestive timbre when the princess made like she was about to object. "Have you ever made a distraction?"

"Well, not exactly-"

"Have you ever done something so attention grabbing that people just have to look at it?"

"Um . . . maybe?"

"Hmmmm . . . have you ever tried a disguise?"

"Isn't that more of a spy thing?"

Maddie gave a disappointed sigh and screwed up her features into a frustrated pout, earning a bizarre look from the princess. "Alright, it looks like that I'll have to teach you how to be a distraction." she sighed. The Hatter then proceeded to take off her enormous, blue top hat and set it on top of a nearby giftbox before reaching deep inside, digging around for several moments before she plunged both arms and her head into the recesses of her hat. After several more moments of rummaging around, she finally came back up with a slightly dented saxophone.

"Um . . . Maddie? What're you doing?" Briar wondered.

"The usual Maddie shtick, what else?" Jigsaw tented his fingers with a devious grin.

With her hat rightfully placed back on her head where it belonged, the Daughter of the Mad Hatter inhaled a deep breath until she looked like she was going to puff up like a balloon. At the last second – before she would have metaphorically popped – she blew out a series of complicated notes in what could only be described as a weird, solipsistic creation of mocking egotism.

"Hey!" Jigsaw suddenly exclaimed when there was a slight pause. Before either Lizzie, Briar, or even Skurd could even comprehend what was happening, the Dodgjierian and Maddie had launched themselves into a ridiculous, merry jig and dance just as the later began to play the same tune again. Soapy bubbles frothed forth from the saxophone's bell and an accompaniment of could only be a bass, a trumpet, and a full on drum set playing an upbeat melody soon joined the farcical display. "We're number one! Hey!"

Briar spent a good two minutes simply starring at the pair as they made absolute fools of themselves, wondering just what in the name of the ancestors she had gotten herself into when she had volunteered for distraction duty perhaps a little too eagerly.

Skurd however, was not amused by the bizarre bravura in the slightest. "Cease and desist, you wild hooligans!"

"This is rather . . . unprecedented?" Lizzie found she couldn't take her eyes away from the spectacle.

It seemed neither could Courtly. After all, it was rather hard to ignore the antics of a Hatter playing a bubble-blowing saxophone and an alien looking like he had ants in his pants dancing to the sound of a confidential number of instruments coming from a seemingly undisclosed location.

It was spontaneous.

It was random.

It was ludicrous.

It was distracting.

And it was working.

"Oh, well, when in Wonderland . . ." Lizzie shrugged as she precariously hobbled to her feet and allowed Jigsaw to take her hand. The young monarch was wildly swung around like a rag doll, though there was a hint of caution in the Dodgjierian eccentric movements, as if he were dancing with a china doll that was already in danger of breaking.

Now people of the average sanity level would have either been left absolutely stupefied by the capricious performance before her or would have least attempted to preserve the moment for future extortion. Briar on the other, after watching her friends make complete buffoons out of themselves for a solid three minutes, gave a final shrug of her shoulders and promptly joined in with an impromptu attempt at the can-can.

Maddie grinned at the beautiful sight of such madness and continued with her little ditty. "Now listen closely!" she instructed, half singing and half speaking. "Here's a little lesson in trickery, this is going down in history! If you want to be a diversion, you have to stay on your toes and be on the run!"

Unfortunately for the lot of them, Courtly had already had enough of their shenanigans. "There they are! Fire! Fire! Blast the lot of 'em into ashes!" she seethed, jamming a finger in their direction.

"Hit the dirt!" Jigsaw yelped as he all but threw Lizzie down just as the skeletal jabberwocky whipped its decaying skull in their direction and spat out a billowing cloud of hot, purple flames. The firestorm eventually died down and the Dodgjierian cautiously peeked out over the lip of the sizzling, gift wrapping-covered mound to watch as what looked to be the scorched remains of a black top hat with a green-trimmed brim came pitifully floating to the ground.

It only took a second for Jigsaw to realize that he was no longer wearing his precious hat and for him to channel that surprise into sudden anger. "Of course, you realize that this means war." he growled.

Courtly had mere seconds to react before the Dodgjierian's left leg suddenly stretched out like rubber and planted itself firmly in front of her before he snapped to her like a slingshot in a massive sidestep. "Hello, I'd like to play a game." he spoke with an uncharacteristically dark tone while he got right up in her face.

"And what, pray tell, is that?" the jester hissed, reaching for the Evil Queen's spellbook.

Almost immediately, Jigsaw's sinister tone vanished to be replaced by his usual, upbeat manner. "Tag! Your it!" he loudly crowed, playfully tapping her nose and merrily dashing off. "Woo-hoo! Woo-hoo! Woo-hoo! Woo-hoo! Woo-hoo!"

The surface temperature of Courtly's skin was approximately like that of an erupting volcanok as she fumed and gave chase after the Dodgjierian, watching him dive inside of a large gift box as she came to a stop. With a sadistic grin on her face, the harlequin slowly pried open the lid, ready to tackle him and-

BOOM!

What she was not ready for however, was when the present suddenly exploded in her face, covering her in a light coating of ash as she tried to process what had just happened. No sooner had the box detonated however, did a gift box sitting in the pile of presents behind her suddenly open up and Jigsaw come popping out. "Yoo-hoo, Miss Jester!" he taunted her with a wave before disappearing back into the box.

Courtly growled and dashed over to the large present, pulling out the Evil Queen's spellbook as she searched for a more destructive spell. She didn't know how he did it, but whatever he did she was going to make sure that he paid for it in full. The joker found a suitable spell and slowly opened the gift box, ready to fire-

BOOM!

And once again, the present had exploded in her face, leaving her both stunned and infuriated at the same time. With a muttering of curses under her breath, the joker snapped the spellbook shut and wiped the soot from her face with the back of her hand. Her blood boiled to near volcanic levels when she heard the scuffling of boxes and the rustling of paper coming from her right and turned to see another gift box open up and Jigsaw pop out with that ever smug grin of his on his face. "Oh, Bozo!" he called out.

The Dodgjierian slipped back inside the colorfully decorated box just as Courtly all but practically dove for it, desperate to even lay a finger on him in retaliation. Seething, she grabbed the lid of the present with white knuckles and was about to yank it off so that she could strangle him – momentarily forgetting her fantasy of ruling Wonderland with him by her side – only to pause when she realized something. If the other two boxes had exploded, what were the odds that this one wouldn't?

With a crafty grin, Courtly turned to regard another gift box just to her immediate left. If her hunch was right – and why wouldn't it be? – Jigsaw would most likely pop out of this one and tease her for her failure to capture him before disappearing again and repeating the whole gag all over again. Well, not this time! This time she would prevail and finally trump him and wipe that stupid grin of his-

BOOM!

"EEEEEEERRRRRRRGGH!" Courtly screamed with frustration. Without much more thought, she turned to the previously regarded gift box and ripped off the lid, just about ready to throttle the Dodgjierian when she got her hands on him . . . only to receive a banana cream pie on top to the face.

With whipped cream now dripping down her face and frosting in her eyes, the Daughter of the Joker Card wiped her face free of as much cream as possible while silently mulling over in her head who she wanted to kill more, the stuck up princess whose family had all but banished her own from Wonderland or the alien lunatic who was currently in the process of driving her up the wall.

"Beep beep!"

Courtly startled and jumped about a foot in the air, whirling around to see Jigsaw standing right behind her with a cheeky grin on his face. Before she could pounce upon him and tear him limb from limb however, he held up a finger – as if asking for a moment – and popped off the emerald top of his cane. A bouquet of beautiful, lush flowers spilled out, filling the air with their sweet fragrance as Jigsaw offered them to her. "Whaddya say? Wanna start over? Friends?"

The jester hesitantly took the flowers from the Dodgjierian and gave the bouquet a cautionary sniff, a soft smile crossing her lips at the wonderful aroma she smelled. "Ah, aren't you sweet?" she cooed.

BOOM!

Of course, Courtly had overlooked the small fact that the bouquet of flowers had, indeed, contained a lit stick of dynamite hidden at its center. "Ain't I a stinker?" Jigsaw gave a mocking grin.

By now, the joker's face had reached a level of hatred that far outclassed even that of an erupting volcano. Her face was redder than molten magma, hotter than burning embers, and her scarlet pink eyes blistered as if she were hatred incarnate. Practically foaming at the mouth, Courtly fumbled for the Evil Queen's spellbook and flipped it open, not even bothering to glance at the pages as she recited a familiar spell. "With this spell I lay waste to the past and seal your fate with a savage blast!" she spat.

"Oh, well! That's all folks!" Jigsaw quipped as he expertly leaped high into the air over the explosion of arcane energy that shot for his feet. The Dodgjierian flipped through the air and landed just behind Courtly, flicking her nose in a taunting manner with a noise maker that snaked out from his mouth like a long tongue before fleeing as fast as his legs could carry him. The jester gave an enraged scream and gave chase.

"And as for you!" she screamed over her shoulder at the gigantic, skeletal jabberwocky with blood lust in her eye. "Kill them! Kill them all! Burn the entire palace down if you have to, just kill them all!" she roared. The enormous, undead corpse didn't hesitate to obey its mistress, lilac flames licking and lightning savagely surging across its blackened bones as it unleashed a billowing torrent of scorching hot flames over the girl's heads, just barely missing them as they threw themselves down to the ground to take cover.

Maddie took her top hat off as the flames roared overhead and stuffed the bubble-blowing saxophone back inside before reaching back inside and digging around. The Hatter jammed her other arm inside the large top hat and inhaled a deep breath before she plunged her head inside, disappearing inch by inch – as if the hat were slowly swallowing her whole – until all that was left of her were her feet feebly kicking and flailing for any kind of traction.

"Ah, here we are!" Maddie exclaimed proudly as she pulled herself out of her hat with a gigantic mallet that was easily taller than she was and should have been impossible to fit inside of the hat or be lifted by the Hatter in question.

Briar blinked. "What happened to-"

"Oh, that old thing? The poor thing got a headache!"

The Daughter of Sleeping Beauty decided that she was going to simply pretend that the Hatter's explanation made sense and turned to regarded the towering bulk of the skeletal jabberwocky as it loomed over them. Despite her injuries, Lizzie was already pulling out a deck of playing cards – whose properties were most likely of the destructive kind – but Briar had no idea how or what she could use to defend herself.

The princess didn't have much time to go searching through the pile of presents for something potentially useful before Maddie lunged forward with a shrill battle cry and smashed her mallet into the side of the jabberwocky's skull, knocking the skeletal beast onto its side with enough force to be considered a small earthquake. The Hatter charged straight at the creature's rib cage without hesitation as Lizzie proved covering fire; playing cards flew from her fingers like lightning bolts, each one finding their mark and either slicing through rotting ligaments and tendons or exploding in colorful clouds of ash and powder.

"C'mon, Briar, join the fun! We gotta keep the big, ol' meanie occupied!" Maddie cried cheerfully over her shoulder.

The only response the Hatter got was golden scepter chucked at the jabberwocky's head, striking it square in one of its six eye sockets and eliciting a howl of pain from the beast. What soon followed was a complete onslaught of various items and possessions that Briar had gathered together and thrown at the collage of reanimated bones with all her might; the young monarch beaned the enormous jabberwocky corpse upside the head with a ruby-encrusted kitchen sink and fist pumped proudly before continuing her assault.

Had Apple not seen far stranger things in recent memory, she wouldn't have believed her eyes.

The hunt for the Storybook of Legends was like an overweight troll trying to run a marathon with a boulder strapped to its' back: slow, lethargic, and time consuming. While the princess and witchling searched more meticulously through the ocean of offerings and gifts, Kitty would use her teleportation magic to cover vast stretches of the Present Room – similar to how one might skim over the pages of a book without actually taking the time to read all the words – and drop back in on them every now and again to see if they had made any more progress than she had.

Thus far, it wasn't going well.

"Come on, come on, where is it?" Apple wondered as she dug through a pile of gifts, discarding the good majority of them over her shoulder. "Gold toothpicks . . . emerald-studded toothbrush . . . unicorn horn dental floss? What is with royals and their dentistry?"

"How about we save that question until after we've stopped Courtly from taking over Wonderland?" Raven suggested while she moved onto another mound of presents. Apple paused at the slight edge to the young witches voice, specifically how it wavered just the slightest and peaked just a bit at the end; a wave of guilt washed over the princess as she resumed her search, albeit with less enthusiasm than before.

Her stomach was tying itself in knots while she picked through the piles half heartily. The princess knew how hard it must have been for Raven to give up everything that she stood for, everything that she had fought so hard for; to see it all come crumbling down like the ancient walls of a once mighty fortress had to have been a heavy blow for her. Apple thought she would have been elated when the day came that Raven would sign the Storybook of Legends, but now that dream had turned to ashes in her mouth. It felt so wrong to force the young witch into doing something she had so strongly denied with every fiber of her being.

"Raven?" she finally spoke up.

"Yeah?"

Apple swallowed dryly. "I just want to you to know . . . when you sign the book, I don't want you to feel like you have to follow your destiny for me. I mean, I still want you to . . . but I don't want to make you."

The Daughter of Snow White felt herself relax a few degrees when the corner's of the young witch's lips curved into a small smile. "Thanks, Apple."

Satisfied that the awful feeling in the pit of her stomach would be sated for now, the princess returned to their search for the Storybook of Legends, only looking up every now and again to check whether or not Courtly had caught wind of their plan yet. The chances of that were quite unlikely however, as the jester was chasing Jigsaw on a pogo stick – that is, the two of them were on pogo sticks and she was chasing him – while hurling unstable balls of arcane magic at him while he hurled floppy rubber chickens back at her.

Apple was so preoccupied by the bizarre spectacle, that she almost didn't notice a familiar pair of pearl whites peeking over her shoulder the entirety of Kitty had emerged and was practically breathing down her neck. The young monarch startled and nearly fell flat on her butt, making the Cheshire all the more amused as Apple tried to recompose herself. "Kitty, stop doing that! We don't have time for this!"

"I would if it wasn't so amusing." she purred with a giggle. The Cheshire's face quickly went from entertained to dead serious in the blink of an eye, something that already put Apple off. "But enough of that. I found it!"

Raven perked up from a beautifully decorated chest full of lavish dresses and corsets. "You did?"

"Yeah! Come on, this way!" Kitty gestured for them to hurry as she blinked out in a shower of glimmering light and reappeared atop the peak of a present tower not too far away giving them an earnest look.

The princess and witchling didn't hesitate and quickly followed after her, slinking among the looming mountains and valleys of the Present Room's gift-laden landscape. Sticking to the low ground saved them from the thick, noxious smoke that smothered the air above them like a blanket, though it didn't save them from the sweltering heat; embers and ashes would sprinkle down like snow in particularly heavy spots where heaping mounds of presents had been ignited into infuriated infernos. Courtly's frustrated screams could be heard every now and again through the crackling flames and the raging roars of the jabberwocky would thunder through the air like thundering drums, as if proclaiming to all that it reined supreme over the charred landscape.

Eventually, the Daughter of the Cheshire Cat brought them to the bottom of an especially towering mound of presents and gifts. There, tucked away out of sight under beautiful quilts and a pair of ruby, slippers was a large, hardback book with a maroon-colored cover, golden embellishments at each of the four corners, and a shiny mirror-like compartment at the center of the book's cover where a key might used to unlock it; the crest of Ever After was proudly embedded at the top, marking it for all to see.

"The Storybook of Legends." Apple breathed. The young monarch bent down and gingerly picked up the ancient manuscript, thumbing the pages as she admired the cover. Had she had more time she could have spent hours simply admiring the cover, knowing that she was holding a piece of her ancestor's history.

Unfortunately, the Daughter of Snow White was quickly reminded that time wasn't necessarily on their side when she caught sight of Raven's anxious face. With a comforting smile, the princes gently pressed the Storybook of Legends into the witchling's grasp, pulling her into a small hug as she did so. "Remember. You don't have to follow your destiny. I want you to, but I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing I forced you into doing something you had fought so hard for. The decision is yours, Raven. It always has been." she whispered in her ear.

The young witch could hardly believe the words she was hearing. Apple White, the Daughter of Snow White, Leader of the Royal Faction . . . was giving her a choice. She almost didn't want to believe it; who was this stranger and what had they done with the princess that she knew?

A dark shadow suddenly loomed over her, cloaking her in a darkness that immediately set her nerves on edge; the witchling hesitantly looked over her shoulder and immediately wished that she hadn't. Towering over her in all of it's rotting, monstrous glory was the enormous skeletal remains of the jabberwocky, its black sockets burning pits of hatred and power. Perched on the creature's head between its gigantic horns and with the smile of a madman on her lips was none other than Courtly, her eyes bloodshot and her disposition like that of a psychopath hungrily leering at the poor unfortunately soul that was to be their latest victim.

"Hahahaha! There you are!" she hissed. "And it's about time, too. We were getting so bored without you!" she cackled.

Raven felt like a knife had been stabbed through her heart when she could have sworn she recognized the four, limb bodies dangling from the jagged jaws of the jabberwocky like rags hanging from a clothesline – if the sister gasps of fear from Kitty and Apple were anything to go by, her fears had been fully realized when the immense collection of ancient bones growled lowly and spat out the quadrivium of carcasses like an distasteful meal at her feet.

At the first the young witch felt like she had just been handed a pile of corpses – twisting the knife even deeper into her heart while she clutched the Storybook of Legends with pale white knuckles. It was only when one of the bodies moved – and nearly gave her a heart attack – did she realize that they were still very much alive, just a little worse for wear.

"Hiya, toots." Jigsaw gave her a cheeky smile with a slight groan. "I've heard of tough crowds, but this is a little ridiculous. You'd think she'd learn to laugh a little, what with her bein' a joker, but noooooo, she has somethin' of a bone to pick with me!"

"If I wasn't horribly covered in third degree burns I would scold you for your Flarg awful puns." Skurd moaned from the Dodgjierian's left pectoral. The Slimebiote looked a little something similar to a pile of green gelatin that had been out in the sun too long and had developed a thin, dried out skin that cracked and split whenever he moved.

Raven sighed with respite when she noticed that the other bodies – Maddie, Briar, and Lizzie – were starting to move as well, albeit slow and obviously in pain if the way they hesitated in certain movements was anything to go by. All of them were covered in various burns and other mild wounds that, while not severe or fatal, were certainly numerous and couldn't have been at all comfortable.

"Eh, they're fine." Jigsaw replied, sitting up with a slight cringe at his aching body. "A little banged up, but fine. All I can say is that we really got burned on this deal."

Courtly growled. "Enough of yours puns!' she spat, cracking open the Evil Queen's spellbook and uttering what had quickly become her favorite spell. A dozen crackling orbs of unstable, arcane energy exploded forth from the pages of book, wildly orbiting around the cackling jester from atop the jabberwocky's head like planets around a star. "It's time I ended you once and for all! Oh, and Ben? The wedding is canceled!"

"There was a wedding?"

"EEEEEEERRRRGGH!" the harlequin seethed with rage as she hurled the pulsating balls of magical energy at them all.

Jigsaw hurriedly yanked off the emerald head of his cane and the canopy of an umbrella flourished from the top, acting like a shield as the Dodgjierian leaped in front of Lizzie and Maddie to take the brunt of the jester's fury; despite the flimsy material, the umbrella's canvas held up surprisingly well against Courtly's barrage, making her even more exasperated as she tried to strike them down.

"Raven," Lizzie instinctively winced when a roaring discharge nearly knocked the umbrella free of Jigsaw's grip and forced him onto a knee. "I don't mean to be a bother . . . but would you mind hurrying up!?" she jolted at another explosion and huddled in close to the Dodgjierian.

The Daughter of the Evil Queen swallowed hard and felt her grip on the Storybook of Legends tighten with shaky fingers. The scars that marked her body in eerily beautiful, silver patterns were starting to burn uncomfortably from the flurry of emotions that churned and roiled in her mind. She didn't want to do it, she really didn't want to do it . . . but then again, what choice did she have? The fate of an entire world and the lives of her friends rested upon her shoulders, a thought that truly frightened her.

She was scared.

Raven felt her heart hammer nervously in her chest and her breathing had begun to spike once more. It was happening again . . . no, it couldn't happen! Not now! She couldn't have another panic attack, not now of all times! She needed a distraction, anything! Anything that could calm her down!

She frantically looked to Maddie and Briar as they cowered behind Jigsaw's umbrella, clutching at his legs and feet with white knuckles and bracing themselves against him as if to offer him any support they could muster. No, that didn't work. That only made her guilty of getting them involved in this whole mess . . .

She desperately turned her gaze to Lizzie and immediately regretted it when she saw the grievous wounds that the princess had received because of their foolish attempt to save her mother. Because of her. Every bruise that littered her ivory skin, every cut that marred her once beautiful appearance, every welt, wound, and injury felt like another thrust of the knife in her heart . . . it was because of her . . . all because of her . . .

She frenziedly glanced to Kitty and Apple and the masks of fear that they wore. She could feel their hands on her shoulders and back, shaking her and unwittingly clawing at her scars in a frenetic attempt to catch her lost attention. The silvery wounds burned like fire now, reminding her that they were scared because of her. They were calling out her name, pleading for her focus, but she couldn't hear them; their words fell on deaf ears . . .

With a sliver of withered hope left, she looked to Jigsaw in the hopes that he might inspire her to save them all, but all she could see were the blows that he had taken trying to protect them all, to protect her. His mask was cracked because of her and his suit was singed and torn and tattered because she couldn't gather up the courage to do the right thing and save them all . . . she felt her heart weaken and the legion of darkness began to creep anxiously at the edges of her vision . . .

But then she noticed something that snapped the darkness away. Was that . . . no, it couldn't have been. No, her eyes weren't playing tricks on her, it was real. Despite everything that she had happened to them all because of her there was a look of unwavering determination in the Dodgjierian's eye, a courageous and brave and unhindered look that said he would not give in until his last breath had left him. It filled her with a warm comfort, like that of being wrapped up in a cozy blanket next to the fire on a cold, rainy evening.

He wasn't going to give up.

And neither would she.

T.P: Is it normally this chaotic or dramatic?

B.P: Sometimes. I think it's because you only ever really show up during the really big stuff.

T.P: Hey, it's not my fault my collage has a lousy schedule! If I could, I would visit more often!

B.P: Oh, sure, and hog all the glory and attention. Not everything is about you, you know!

T.P: I never said it was.

B.P: Yes, you did.

T.P: No, I didn't.

B.P: Yes, you did.

T.P: No, I didn't.

B.P: Yes, you did!

T.P: No, I didn't!

B.P: YES, YOU DID!

T.P: NO, I DIDN'T!

B.P: YES! YOU! DID!

T.P: NO! I! DIDN'T!

B.P: I say 'yes, you did' to infinity!

T.P: Oh, yeah? Well, I say 'no, I didn't' to infinity times infinity!

B.P: You can't do that!

T.P: Oh, yes I can! There's nothing in the rules that says I can't!

B.P: There aren't any rules!

T.P: Um, hello? I'm the one in collage here. I think I know more about the world than you do.

B.P: Oh, and just because you're older you think you know everything!

T.P: I never said I did!

B.P: Yes, you-

M.N: The wolf, the raven and ebony-green come together forever and everything in between!

F.N: The girl who followed the rabbit, noble and kind, will be bound to ebony-green, intertwined!

B.P: Oh, Grimm! They're at it again!

T.P: Ugh, we've wasted so much time arguing that we forgot to keep an eye on them!

B.P: Well, it was your fault!

T.P: We don't time for this! You narrate the story, I'll catch mom and dad!

F.N: Jacks and dice and cards delight in playing games until daylight!

M.N: To dance and juggle is nothing but a struggle if you don't learn how to prance!

B.P: Alright, um, lemme see . . .

T.P: Right, you do that, I'll go round up Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. And by that I mean our normally sane parents. Now where did they . . . hey! Mom! Dad! Get back here! You're not well! Seriously, knock it off!

B.P: Ah! Here we are! *Ahem* Raven Queen finally signed the Storybook of Legends and inherited the evil powers of her mother! Is Apple right in thinking that Raven's good nature will allow her to stay good or will this make her truly-

"Young narrator! Excuse us, but things are happening fast down here!" Maddie decided now was a perfect time to scold the ceiling.

The Hatter's words were mostly drowned out by Raven's screams as hot, fiery purple flames lunged forth from the book and swallowed her, angrily crackling and swirling around her in a mini firestorm of power. Lightning lashed out from her body as the young witch screamed at the top of her lungs, her fingers clenched and trembling uncontrollably as pure, raw, magical power flowed through her veins like molten venom. The scars that marked her body were excruciating, a searing white hot pain that threatened to send her over the brink of consciousness. Raven felt absolutely sick to her stomach and everything burned . . . it hurt so bad in so many ways that it was impossible to describe them all . . . and yet she had never felt more alive.

Her fingers were trembling with incredible strength she never knew that she had. She could practically feel the blood vessels circulating through her body, enriching her even further and allowing the power to finally seep into her core like some horrible chemical spill. It was hot, fiery, smoldering, and she could oddly taste the color yellow at that point, but that was quickly forgotten when she felt the power. The absolute power that she now wielded . . . there were no words for how refreshed she felt . . . the pain was beginning to ebb and flow away . . . but the power! The unrestrained, unimaginable power that flowed through her veins with her blood!

The magical energy was now beginning to invade her mind bit by bit, piece by piece, as if it knew it were trespassing in a delicate area of her body and was being cautious so as not to damage anything important. Raven didn't really care whether that was even possible right now. All she cared about was the power that pulsated from her core, begging from release; she was more than happy to oblige.

From atop her perch on the jabberwocky's head, Courtly felt an entirely new sense of dread overwhelm her when she caught sight of the cruel, predatory grin on Raven's lips and the way her normally soft, lavender eyes had now darkened to a pair of smoldering, magenta embers that seemed to burn like the fiery pits of hell. She swallowed nervously and attempted to recompose herself as the witchling's entourage took a few cautious steps back. "Don't just stand there, you bag of bones! Get her!" she yelled at the jabberwocky, trying to keep her voice from wobbling.

The gigantic corpse roared and unleashed a scorching hot jet of flame aimed right at the Daughter of the Evil Queen. The witchling merely gave an unsettling, semidemented smile as she effortlessly disappeared in a column of fiery flames and reappeared atop a nearby mountain of presents.

Without a devious smile, the young witch began to craft a spell, expertly weaving and threading the dark magic she now commanded through her fingers, as if she were weaving a tapestry of arcane energy. "You're traitorous scum, for that I won't stand. You belong to me, I command you to disband!" her voice spoke literal volumes.

Courtly only had moments to react and threw herself off of the jabberwocky's skull at the last second before Raven hurled the orb of dark magic she had been growing between her hands at the skeletal beast, hitting it square in the chest. The undead corpse bellowed and roared, fruitlessly flapping its wings and aimlessly biting at anything within range as it's life force withered and died within a matter of seconds, leaving it a pile of lifeless bones to collapse in a cloud of ancient dust seconds later. Raven's devious grin only increased as she gave a simple curl of her finger and drew forth a pulsating orb of unstable energies from the jabberwocky fossils. The ball flew through the air directly towards her and landed in the palm of her hand where she crushed it with a flex of her fingers, absorbing it's properties and increasing her own power.

The Daughter of the Evil Queen then turned her attention towards Courtly with that ever disturbing smile on her face as she reached out with a hand and fired off a blast of powerful arcane magic. The jester yelped and dove out of the way as the tower of presents she had been standing on mere moments before exploded into a mauve inferno.

"Is . . . I-Is that all you've got?" Courtly tried to bite down on her growing fear. The harlequin hurriedly flipped through the pages of the spellbook before she muttered an incantation under her breath and fired off a barrage of plasmatic bolts at Raven. The witchling merely gave that same, eerie smile and moved her arms in a circular motion, erecting a wavering purple shield in front of her to take the brunt of the bombardment.

Now it was Raven's turn to attack. The young witch gave a flick of her wrist and sent the magical barrier scattering outward in a coercive pulse that sliced through the surrounding mounds of gifts like a giant guillotine; a series of smaller explosions followed afterward, making it feel like Courtly had accidentally landed herself in a field of erupting geysers, knocking her off her feet and down the side of a gift-laden mountain.

The joker card didn't have long to be in awe or pain before Raven attacked again and thrust her hands down towards her feet, firing off twin jets of scorching hot, lavender flames from her palm and shooting off high into the like a rocket. Courtly could do little else but curl up into a tight ball with her hands over her head as the young witch rained down magical bolts of arcane energy down upon her that exploded like a minefield around her. After a few harrowing minutes, the barrage fell into silence and the jester hesitantly peeked through her fingers to see if the coast was clear.

It was at that exact moment when she caught sight of Raven engulfed in an inferno of crackling purple and magenta flames with arms raised over her head coming plummeting straight at her like a comet did Courtly realize how bad she had messed up. She had a few seconds to process this before the witchling slammed into her like a meteor strike, creating a cataclysmic explosion of arcane energy that sent her flying through the air and a fair distance away.

Overcome with fear, the Daughter of the Joker Card scrambled to her feet and desperately searched through the Evil Queen's spellbook for a solution. "Her magic's too strong . . . that has to be a better spell in here!" she gulped when she caught sight of the young witch standing at the center of a gargantuan, smoldering crater with that same, predatory smile.

"There's more than one way to read a book, Jester." Raven chuckled darkly, her voice echoing deep and hollow. The young pointed a finger at the jester and sent out a bolt of lavender lightning from the tip that landed a direct hit on the spellbook in Courtly's hands. The harlequin immediately dropped the manuscript as if she had been shocked and watched with fear as Raven drew the book back towards her with a curl of her finger. Without much more than a minute's hesitation to savor the moment, she crushed the book in the palm of her hand, engulfing the thick tome in a ball of purple fire. "All done!"

Courtly gulped and began to back away with fear. Was it just her imagination, or did Raven look a little . . . unhinged?

"Apple . . . are you certain this was a good idea?" Lizzie asked anxiously.

A series of dying beeps caught their attention as the Omnitrix timed out and a blast of bright green light enveloped Jigsaw, returning Ben to his original form. "Yeah, I don't know about you, but Raven doesn't look so good . . . quite the opposite, actually."

"I know Raven. She's stronger than those dark powers." Apple assured them with a firm tone, though Ben took mental note of the way she was nervously nibbling on her lip.

"Then why does she look like she's going to turn Courtly into Jester Flambe?" Briar wondered with great concern.

The young witch had the most unsettling of smiles upon her face, mirroring the now helpless jester exactly with a deranged look in her mind. She clenched her once delicate fingers like wicked claws, summoning forth a pair of snarling, crackling hot flames that spiraled and snaked up her arms in unison. The fire promptly exploded when it jumped her shoulders to her hair, giving her a burst of power that launched her high up into the air once more, wreathing her in flames and making Raven look like a demon that had come to collect their debt.

Skurd sighed. "Oh, this can't end well."

Before any of them could stop her, the Daughter of the Evil Queen surged and spun like corkscrew as she shot straight at Courtly and slammed into her with the force of a runaway train, grabbing her by the throat with a vice-like grip and plowing her through the side of one, two, three, four, five, six mounds of presents of varying hardness and durability before she shot off into the air again with the helpless joker card in tow. They soon came to an abrupt stop some several dozen feet above the floor, just a few feet shy of the high ceiling; with surprising strength, the young witch held onto a helpless Courtly with a single hand that was slowly and meticulously tightening its grip around the jester's windpipe

"Y-You . . .y-you're . . . you're insane . . !" the harlequin struggled to breath, her hands clutching the witchling's wrist and her body battered and broken after such a rough flight.

"That's a matter of opinion," Raven chuckled sinisterly. "And unfortunately for you, your opinion matters very . . . very . . . very little to me . . ."

True fear. If there was anything that would haunt Courtly for as long as she lived – if she lived – it wouldn't be the things that went bump in the night or the Boogeyman that supposedly lurked under everyone's bed, no, it would be the sick and twisted look of complete mad power on Raven's face while her claw-like necks dug into her neck like eagle talons. That was all Courtly could focus on as the two of them fell in a column of flames like falling stars, spiraling and twisting in a corkscrew until they slammed into the ground with a thunderous explosion that seemed to shake the very earth, sending flaming gift boxes and presents flying in all directions.

The Daughter of the Joker Card coughed and wheezed from the heavy ash in the air, struggling for breath from her bruised throat and aching chest. Her injuries were numerous and many but the most notable were what had to be a set of bruised ribs, multiple lacerations, a sprained ankle, and possibly several concussions. All of that was quickly forgotten however when Courtly caught sight of a shadowy figure moving towards her through the smoke and haze and heard a pair of footsteps taking their sweet time to get to her – the clicking of the heels was going to drive her mad if she didn't die of fright before.

"What was it that you said before?" Raven asked with a mockingly innocent tone. "Ah, yes, I believe you called me a cowering cockroach like I was always meant to be? Who's cowering now, Courtly?" she cackled madly with scorching balls of hot, purple flames in her palms.

The harlequin gulped with fear, her bottom lip trembling as she tried to scoot away from the approaching witchling as much as possible. "W-w-w-would it help if I-I-I s-said I was s-s-sorry?"

The young witch paused for a moment, tapping her chin with a flaming finger. "Hmmm . . . nah. I think I'm just going to finish you once and for all." she maliciously grinned.

"Raven! Stop!" Apple cried, breaking free from Ben and bolting straight at the deranged witchling.

"Apple! No!" the brunette cried out. With a short curse under his breath, he broke into a run after the princess, nervously working his lip the closer he got to Raven and the volatile situation that surrounded her. He really didn't want to have to fight her, but there was a chance that she could hurt Apple in her current state and, as much as he hated to admit it, there was a very real possibility that they would have a dead jester on their hands if he didn't intervene.

The princess completely ignored or didn't hear her boyfriend call out for her, even when she heard him give chase after her over the piles of burning gifts and presents. With what had to be incredible courage or incredible stupidity, she slid down the side of such a mountain and all but dove in front of a helpless Courtly and cut off Raven.

"Get out of the way, Apple! This isn't about you!" she spat venomously.

The young monarch completely ignored her. "Raven, listen to me! This isn't you! It never was you!" she pleaded. "Choose who you want to be! Isn't that what you always tell me!?"

For a brief moment, the young witch actually stopped to consider her words, the flames that enveloped her figure dying down slightly as if they were running low on the hatred that fueled them. And for a brief moment, Apple thought she saw a sliver of the Raven that she knew and loved and cared for behind the mask of the demonic villain she had become . . . for a brief moment.

As soon as it come, the light in Raven's eyes died and a low growl like that of an agitated predator escaped her mauve lips as the blistering hot flames ignited once more with renewed fury, racing across her shoulders and down her arms to engulfed her once more. "If you won't get out of the way, then I'll just have to take you out, too!"

"And that's my cue to step in. Skurd!" Ben barked as he charged in with reckless abandon.

The Slimebiote gave a quick salute. "I'm already on it, dear boy!" he slathered his slimy form over his host's body, already making the necessary changes to his genetic code. The changes were immediate and incredibly unsettling as the brunette's phalanges abruptly stretched out to a disturbing length, protruding from the flesh of his fingertips while they pulled like rubber until they were nearly as long as he was tall. Pulsing red muscle and tendons soon followed after, snaking and weaving themselves over Ben's bare bones until they had formed a pair of enormous flippers; tough, leathery green skin mercifully layered itself over the throbbing tissue, producing a pair of fully functional Geochelone Aerio flippers. The sudden tearing noise of fabric came from the brunette's back and he looked over his shoulder just in time to watch as a heavy, durable turtle-like shell erupted from his spine, completing the transformation.

Ben surged forward like a runaway truck and dove for and wrapped her into a protective hug at the last second with his new protective shell directed at Raven, just as the young witch unleashed a powerful barrage of arcane bolts upon them. Much to his surprise, the blasts harmless bounced off of his carapace as if they were merely ping-pong balls.

"I'm immune to magic?" he glanced at his flippers curiously. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but thank you, Aggregor!"

"You are too kind." Skurd bowed humbly.

With this newfound information, Ben released his hold on Apple and slowly turned around, assuming a wide stance with his knees perpendicular to the ground, much like a sumo wrestler. "Raven, listen to me! I don't want to hurt you! I don't want to fight you! But I will if I have to! Fight the power, Raven, this isn't who you are! Don't make me do this!"

The young witch glowered at him and brought her hands together, forming a pulsating ball of hot coals between her palms and with a loud roar of fury she tore the orb in two, hurling the pair of unstable balls of dark magic straight at him. The brunette moved far faster than the cumbersome shell on his back should have allowed him to and he dashed forward with startling speed, effortlessly whacking aside one blast after the other with his flippers with a loud crack!

It hurt him, doing this. Fighting against someone that he cared about, someone that he loved whom loved him back faults and all, it made his chest tighten and his insides squirm violently as he instinctively calculated ways to take her down as fast as possible; it hurt him that he was treating her like she was a threat. But what else could he do?

Before Raven could even attempt to defend herself, Ben had barreled straight into her in a full on tackle, pinning her to the ground with him on top of her and none too discreetly straddling her to hold her in place. The young witch struggled to get out from underneath him and four pairs of claws suddenly burst forth from the tips of the wielder of the Omnitrix's flippers, latching onto her wrists and restricting her movements while she continued to fight.

"Raven!" Ben yelled at her with desperation in his voice. "Look at me! Listen to me! This isn't who you are, you need to remember! Remember who you are! You're Raven Queen, Daughter of the Queen and leader of the Rebel faction at Ever After High! You've fought for the right to follow your own destiny and inspired others to follow in your footsteps, to write their own stories and live their lives how they want to! You aren't evil! You're kind and always considerate of others, you're caring and loyal, and you love music!" he reminded her. "But most of all . . . you're someone I care about. I love you, Raven . . ."

It was like a switch had been flipped or a button had pushed. As soon as those words had slipped free from his lips, Raven had stopped struggling and looked at him with an almost owlish appearance, as if she could hardly believe what he had just said. For a slight second he saw her effervescent, purple gaze flicker and give way to the soft mesh of indigo and lavender that he knew so well.

"Raven . . . I love you . . ." Ben repeated a hopeful timbre.

Almost immediately, Apple was by his side and holding the young witch's hand in her own, clutching her fingers tightly. "Raven, please! Remember who you are!" she pleaded. "I . . . I-I can't stand to see you like this! You aren't evil! You never were evil! Y-You . . . you're the nicest person I know! Even more than me sometimes . . . p-please, come back to us . . . I can't lose you . . . not like this . . ." the princess voice grew hoarse and heavy from the tears she was trying to hold back as she gently kissed the back of Raven's hands with her ruby red lips.

By now the young witch seemed to be having an internal struggling with herself, flashing back and forth between the intense, power hungry orbs of madness and the familiar set of lilac eyes that filled everyone that came across them with a sense of ease. Her skin would rapidly switch from a cool ivory to a toxic mixture of poisonous purples and violent violets, as if the ultimate battle between good and evil were happening right inside her body.

"Skurd. Hands please." Ben spoke up, his voice wavering slightly.

"A little politeness is all I ask." the Slimebiote obliged as he returned the genetic sample back to the Omnitrix; the enormous Geochelone Aerio carapace on Ben's back disappeared in a blast of green light and his flippers were quickly returned to their original form.

With his now more dexterous and delicate digits he tightly clasped Raven's other hand and gently cupped her face, the constant flashes of intense heat and soothing coolness urging him to hurry. "Raven . . . I need you, we all need you. D-Don't go out like this . . . not like this . . . I care too much about you to lose you this . . . I love you too much . . . I love you . . ." his voice fell into a whisper as he placed a soft kiss upon her lips.

Apple and Ben felt the young witch's hands abruptly seize up in their grip before suddenly grabbing holding of them with a vice-like hold that threatened to crush every one of their fingers. She looked like she was in excruciating pain with her eyes squeezed shut and her jaw clenched so tight that it looked like she was going to break her teeth any second now. The amethyst flames that enveloped her body was going absolutely nuts, flashing back and forth between blazing heat and smoldering coolness faster than either of them could actually sense.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Raven screamed like a banshee at the top of her lungs, her body suddenly jolting as she arched her back. A blast of immense power exploded forth from her body with a violent disposition, slicing through the air like a sonic boom – dead silence one second followed by a roar loud enough to make everyone deaf within a hundred mile radius and very well likely kill everyone at its epicenter.

And while Raven wasn't dead, she looked absolutely exhausted when she finally opened her eyes and felt an immediate head rush and wave of debilitation overwhelm her. Her chest puffed heavily as she fought for breath, her brow slackened with sweat as she tried to sit up and was instantly glomped by Apple and Ben. The strength of their arms around her nearly crushed the breath from her lungs, but it felt so wonderful.

"Thank you . . ." she croaked, her voice hoarse. "Thank you . . ."

"We're just glad to have you back." Apple sniffed with a relieved smile.

"More than glad. We should really be thanking you." Ben grinned as he placed another kiss on the witchling's cheek, earning a red flush from her ivory features as a reward.

Skurd huffed indignantly. "Please, don't anyone all thank me at once. You are all too kind." he tried to not look annoyed. Raven couldn't but smile at the Slimebiote's subtle little comment and affectionately petted his slimy head in gratitude, making the little tentacles that protruded from his head wriggle and squirm with ecstasy.

"Raven!"

The young witch only had a few seconds to react before the maddened ball of hyperactive energy that was Maddie came racing over the gift-laden dunes and plowed into her with the force of the charging bull. Even as the breath was nearly knocked from her lungs, Raven couldn't have been more overjoyed to feel Maddie's arms around her and nuzzling her affectionately between a startled Apple and Ben.

"Oh, thank the narrator you're alright and no longer all topsy-turvy!" she exclaimed with relief.

Raven chuckled. "Yes, Maddie, I'm fine. But . . . where are Briar, Kitty, and Lizzie? Are they alright?" she asked with great concern.

Ben groaned as he smacked his forehead in disbelief. "Agh! I knew I forgot something!"

A shuffling noise caught their attention as the melted remains of once beautiful decorated music box was kicked down the side of a present-covered mountain. Gift boxes and wrapping paper crackled and popped like embers as the fires that once feasted upon quickly lost their appetite and died out with a pitiful sizzling noise, but that did little to deter Briar and Kitty as they made their descent down the heaping mound towards them, bright and relieved smiles shared between the two of them.

"Don't worry. We're alright." Lizzie offered them a dazzling smile that made Ben's heart beat just a little quicker as she was carefully set down on her bruised and broken knees. "I'm just glad that this is all over with."

Briar coughed. "Speaking of which . . . what do we do with her?" she asked, glancing in Courtly's direction just as the jester was trying to crawl away.

Ben frowned and shared a look with Skurd; he didn't have to say anything. The Slimebiote expertly selected the genetic sample from the extensive library of the Omnitrix and oozed his mucilaginous body over his host's left arm, already making the necessary genetic changes. The brunette's muscles and tissue unbound themselves into long, elastic strips and melted together with his skin, flattening and fading into a musty, ancient brown like that of a mummy's bandages. His arm yawned as it stretched out to nearly twice it's length, a black brace with green stripes taking place upon his forearm as his fingers pulled out into the resilient digits of a Thep Khufan.

With a loud crack! Ben sent out his fingers in twisting and writhing patterns that hungrily sought out for something to latch onto. They quickly found their target and snapped forward with blinding speed, wrapping tightly around Courtly's ankles and wrists before pulling back with a sharp tug and tying her up in a perfect hogtie.

"I'd say she's tied up at the moment." the brunette smirked as he severed his digits with a quick snap of his wrist and left the incapacitated harlequin to struggle against her bonds; with a groan of mourning, Skurd returned his host's limb to its original form in the small hopes that the horrible puns might end.

WHAM!

A thunderous boomed snapped them out of their moment of peace and turned their attention towards the great doors to the Present Room – the doors that Courtly had sealed shut in her madness to prevent them from escaping or from anyone entering; it seemed that the spell was still holding up – maybe. Whatever the reason, something was trying to get in through the doors and whatever it was, it had to have been huge. Each subsequent, hammering blow roared through the high chambers and bent the heavyset doors inward, threatening to tear them off of their hinges.

"What's that?" Apple asked, unconsciously gripping Raven's hand a little tighter.

WHAM!

"We're in no condition to fight!" Kitty gulped.

WHAM!

Ben's once smug grin turned into a determined scowl as he prepared himself. "Then let's hope it's friendly."

WHAM! BOOM!

The enormous doors to the Present Room finally gave in and exploded inward, slamming against the walls with a resounding bang! A loud trumpet announced the presence of a gigantic, woolly mammoth covered in a thick, shaggy coat of mauve and indigo hair with a heavy, red spiked collar around her neck as she stormed into the room. She snorted angrily and flapped her tiny ears with distress as a platoon of playing card guardsman rushed in after her, armed with pointed spears and taking defensive positions around the monumental mammal; from atop her broad back sat none other than Venus and the Queen of Hearts herself, wearing a mask of absolute fury. With a barely suppressed growl, the queen leaped off the back of the mammoth – an impressive feat in itself considering the size of her dress – and marched to the front of the well-armed party with her pale features screwed up into a scowl hazardous to make even the mightiest of beasts take pause.

It took only seconds for the monarch to catch sight of a bound Courtly, her daughter, her daughter's entourage of close friends, and the burning remains of what had once been the Present Room and piece together a fairly accurate picture of what had happened.

"GUARDS!" the Queen of Hearts roared at the top of her lungs, instantly making every playing card within the sound of her voice stand at attention. "Seize her!" she demanded, thrusting an accusing finger at Courtly with a face red enough to rival that of a tomato and a vibrato that threatened to cave in the ceiling down upon them.

The guards didn't waste a second and swarmed forth in a hurried, disciplined march as they advanced upon the powerless jester and took her into custody. The joker card struggled and fought even harder against her bonds, even going so far as to try and bite the guards if they came to close.

"You will rue the day you messed with me!" Courtly seethed with rage. "One day, I'll have my revenge! And it will be I who has the last laugh!" she venomously spat as the playing card guardsman none too gently took her into custody to have her injuries treated and then to have her incarcerated.

The ravings of the mad jester were mostly ignored by Venus when she jumped down from the back from the mammoth as the massive mammal disappeared in a blur of shaggy fur, tusks, and twilight locks to be replaced by none other than Jane. The two ghouls spared little time and all but practically rushed past the Queen of Hearts to seize Ben in a tight embrace with a cringe-worthy crack! from his spine.

"GAAAH!" the brunette jolted.

Jane grinned sheepishly as she loosened her hold. "Sorry. We were just worried about you."

"Worried? About me?" Ben scoffed with a mocking tone. "Come on, you know me better than that."

"You're right. We do know you better than that," Venus stole his hat and placed it upon her head as she mischievously noogied him. "Which is why you are going to get medical treatment straight away, no arguments."

"I'm fine!"

"Those bruises and that black eye of yours say otherwise. Might I also take note of how your posture is remarkably similar to that of a common chimpanzee?" Jane pointed out with a smug grin when she caught sight of the look on his face.

Before Ben could further protest, the Queen of Hearts came charging in like a protective mother bear and scooped up Lizzie in a crushing hug that threatened to break and bruise her even further. "Oh, my dear, sweet Lizzie! I'm so glad you're alright!" she frantically fretted. "What did that awful jester girl do to you? It doesn't matter, because I'll make sure that she's shoved so far into Wonderland Prison that she never sees the light of day again if it's the last thing I do!"

The princess did her best to try and put the queen's mind at ease. "I'm quite alright, mother. It's merely a few scrapes and bruises-"

Briar interrupted with a sharp scoff. "Scrapes and bruises my foot! You got annihilated back there! We all did! If it wasn't for Raven-"

"Yes, I do believe you've made your point." Lizzie reluctantly sighed, wincing at the pain that shot through her chest. Once the discomforting feeling had died down she turned to Raven with requital. "I never did get to thank you – all of you – for helping me save for my kingdom."

The young witch's face turned a bright pink with embarrassment. "Oh, don't worry about it. What are friends for?"

"Friends don't usually get one another nearly killed." Ben pointed out with a slight smirk.

"Need we remind you of your track record, mister?" Venus reminded him with a far smugger grin.

"Regardless," the Queen of Hearts spoke up. "I owe you all a tremendous debt of gratitude for your services to Wonderland – for saving my throne and my kingdom. It would be my privilege if you would all attend my birthday party as my guests of honor, the Seven Saviors of Wonderland!" she declared with a loud and dramatic flare.

"We would be honored, your majesty," Raven bowed slightly, her body a little stiff and the back of her head still throbbing and pulsing with pain. "But there's something we need to take care of first."

"I completely agree," the Queen of Hearts nodded before she whipped her head towards the Present Room doors and roared at the top of her lungs. "MEDIC! ON THE DOUBLE! AND IF I SEE ONE MORE SCRATCH ON MY DARLING DAUGHTER IT WILL BE OFF WITH YOUR HEADS TWICE OVER!"

Ben winced at the ringing in his ears. "Your mom certainly has an impressive set of lungs, Lizzie."

The young monarch shrugged as a mob of playing cards dressed in white lab coats and rubber gloves carrying stretchers and first aid kits and medical equipment came swarming in through the open doors as fast as their legs could possibly carry them, lest their legs have nothing to carry. "You get use to it. Or at least, you will get use to it."

Before the brunette could ask for the princess to elaborate, the army of playing card physicians had descended upon them like a gathering of bees and latched on him with multiple hands, prying him away from Venus and Jane as they tried to reach for him. The cards held firm against his struggling and wrestled him onto a stretcher, strapping him into place and immediately taking note of his vitals as he fought against them. Through the bevy of doctors he could see more physicians scuffling with the girls, bombarding them with questions and diagnostics while they were taken away for treatment. Ben could just barely make out Lizzie being taken from her mother's arms and carried off by a platoon of particular erratic playing cards who looked as if they had the hounds of hell chasing at their heels.

Given her mom's temper, that's not too far of a stretch, he thought to himself as he was carted away shortly after her.

The noontide sun had long since dipped below the horizon, turning the beautiful palate of bright yellows and vibrant golds into a breathtaking salmagundi of amaranthine and plum bespectacled with thousands upon thousands of twinkling, glittering stars that danced and waltzed across the night sky. Hundreds of lanterns had been strung up by the palace guards to illuminate the grounds and keep the party going into the long hours of twilight, bathing celebration in a warm glow. The guests that remained – a rather large quantity – were either already a little tipsy and were having themselves a grand old time while being carefully watched by the palace guards or were giving him and his entourage a wide berth, whispering among themselves in hushed tones in the hopes that their conversations would go unnoticed.

It had also been several hours since he had been released from Card Castle's own private sanitarium, but it felt like it had been ages, maybe even eons. The healer's had flawlessly worked their magic – literally – and had managed to take care of wounds and injuries that would have taken multiple uses of the Omnitrix to patch up; despite that, there were still traces that would serve to remind him of the battle for a considerable while. His bruised and broken ribs had been mended and set, but it would be some time before he could breath easily and not feel the strain and then there were the multiple scars that littered his body. Those would fade away with time, as would the reoccurring cephalalgia . . . it was the waiting that was going to get him.

"Ben, I know you're worried," Kitty bit into a tart while she lounged on the lowest hanging branch of a tree decorated with glowing lanterns and freshly painted roses. "But this is Lizzie we're talking about. She's going to be fine."

The brunette sighed, taking off his top hat to rub his temples. "I know, I know. I keep trying to myself that, but . . . it's just . . ."

"You're worried." Briar finished for him, leaning against the tree as she took a sip of her punch. "We know. You've been worrying a trench into the ground for the past hour or so."

"Honestly, dear boy, anymore worrying and your going to worry yourself to the center of the Earth!" Skurd exclaimed dramatically before he took a bite of his own tart, savoring the flavor. "Mmmm, not as delicious as DNA, but it shall suffice."

Ben groaned. "I know that. But it's been a long time-"

"Ben, you saw how injured she was. Even with the healers working as fast and as carefully as they can, it's going to take a while," Raven reminded him, gently grabbing him by the shoulders to stop his anxious pacing. She rested her head on his shoulder and took hold of his hand, giving him fingers a comforting squeeze. "But like Kitty said, this is Lizzie we're talking about. She's tough as nails. She'd sooner play strip poker than give in to Courtly."

"You sure about that?" Ben quirked an eyebrow and found himself snickering when he noticed Apple's reddening face. "Oh, come on, Apple, I was joking!"

"O-Oh . . . um, r-right. Of course!" the princess chuckled nervously while she tried to keep the blood from rushing to her face at such lewd thoughts. In an effort to relieve herself of such images she chose to examine her boyfriend as a distraction and quickly took note of how his smile soon faded and he once more fell into a brooding, worrisome state. "You're still worried about her, aren't you?"

"Wish I could stop." the brunette sighed wearily. "When you're a hero, being worried about loved ones just comes natural, I guess."

Loved ones? Apple couldn't help but hear those two words repeat themselves over and over again in her head and meticulously pick them apart for further examination. She couldn't think of a reason why he could be worried about her – perhaps he was a little nervous that she would suffer a fate similar to Courtly's if she ever were to snap again? No, he had to be worried about one of the others. Maybe he was concerned that Raven didn't have as much control over her powers as she liked to think? No, that couldn't possibly be it either, he never made any mention of the young witch's newfound abilities. That left only Kitty and Maddie, and the princess doubted Ben was worried about them very much. That could only mean . . .

Realization dawned on her and she felt a lump form in her throat. "Y-You . . . you love her . . . you love Lizzie . . . don't you?"

Ben jolted at the mere mention of the preconception. "What? Where did you-"

"Dear boy, don't try to deny it. You'll only end up making yourself look more foolish, something I suggest you leave to the professionals." Skurd cut him off.

"You do have something of a track record when it comes to picking up girls," Kitty purred with a seductive timbre and playful wink. "Not that we mind . . . right, girls?"

"Whatever happens, whatever you choose, Ben, we'll be there for you like you've been there for us." Raven promised, giving her boyfriend a warm hug that made her magical core flare and bubble pleasantly. "Just promise me you'll have enough time for all us, okay?"

"Me, too?" Apple added with a sweet tone, hanging off of his other shoulder with a saccharine smile.

"Me three!" Maddie called from the uppermost branches of the lantern-decorated tree, waving her free hand wildly while she scanned the grounds through a pair of binoculars with the other. There was then a scuffling and rustling of leaves as the Hatter scrambled down the branches and suddenly burst out of the canopy, hanging upside down. "What's got your pretzel in a twist?"

"I'm still worried about Lizzie," Ben replied. "Plus, it doesn't help that the Omnitrix is . . . well, in pieces, I guess."

"Oh, is that all? That can easily be fixed!" Maddie giggled. Without another word, she pulled off her oversized top hat and rummaged around inside before she pulled out a brightly colored teapot, took off the small lid, and proceeded to pour the entire contents over her boyfriend's head before he knew what was happening.

The brunette sputtered. "Ptew! What was that for!?"

"Well, you said that the Omnitrix was in pieces, so I put it back together for you! Problem solved!" the Hatter replied. Ben cocked an eyebrow and spared a glance at his outfit before realizing that, much to his disbelief, the number of Omnitrices that had once dotted his body had all fused back together into a single device fastened securely to his left wrist.

"What that- why did you do that ages ago!?" he exclaimed.

Maddie giggled. "You never asked! Plus, the author wanted to make things more interesting. Now that's what I call a success!"

Deciding that further arguing with her was pointless, the brunette eventually gave up. "Alright, so the Omnitrix is put back together again. That doesn't explain what you were doing up in that tree.

"Playing looky-loo look out!" was the Hatter's reply before she suddenly disappeared back into the canopy and returned to her position. "Thar she blows! Also, I see Lizzie!" she soon declared.

It wasn't long before Ben caught sight of the aforementioned princess and when he did, he nearly had his breath taken away; the healer's had done a magnificent job in healing the vast majority of her injuries, internal or otherwise, meeting their majesty's criteria to the letter. The Princess of Hearts' once flawless, ivory skin had been restored to it's former glory and was devoid of all but the faintest of scars from her latest escapade, the swelling in her face had been treated with the utmost care, and he could just make out the glimmer of a golden tooth when she gave an abashed smile. Despite the palaces physicians' best efforts though, they had been unable to fully restore Lizzie's legs and had thus placed her in a wheelchair until they once again regained their strength. Other than the temporary cast that kept her recently healed ribs in place, she had never looked better.

In order to accommodate for her recent development, Lizzie had made a change in wardrobe – as it was rather difficult to fit a full blown ballgown into a wheelchair and effectively move around at the same time. The princess had as such gone for an ebony, off the shoulder dress trimmed in gold at the collar and a red, ruffled underskirt to compliment the piece de resistance of the ensemble. The wide and open, ace and spade patterned skirt had been done away with and the close-fitting leggings had been traded in for a pair of more loose-knitted black stockings with thin crimson stripes. Her pumps had been bartered for a pair of scarlet flats with gold ribbons and the heart-shaped bun that she normally kept her stygian and sanguine locks had been loosened and allowed to cascade over her shoulders and back in thick curtains.

"So . . ." Lizzie smiled sheepishly. "How do I look?"

Ben was at a complete loss for words. "Goregeous . . ."

"Smooth move, Casanova." Skurd sarcastically mumbled under his breath.

A cough from the Queen of Heart's made Lizzie's porcelain features flushed a brilliant fuchsia. "As honored as I am that you have agreed to attend my birthday bash, I simply must thank you again for reuniting me with my beloved daughter. It really is the greatest gift a mother could ask for." she smiled warmly as she bent down and affectionately kissed the princess's temple.

"Ahem."

"Oopsie! I meant the greatest gift any parent could ask for." the queen corrected herself. Ben looked to where the small noise had come from and found himself staring at a man that he hadn't noticed before – it was probably because the man was only a little bigger than a large kindergartner , yet looked as if he was four times as old. He shared the same kind, blue eyes with his daughter and sported a pair of wiry spectacles on the bridge of his pointed nose, giving him an owlish gaze. From beneath a large crown that made him seem much taller than he actually was curled forth short, black hair that retreated into a shallow beard on his chin. The bantam monarch's attire consisted mostly of a crimson sweater vest, coral tie, and a pair of red slacks with black dress shoes; a maroon cape trimmed with white fur hung from a pair of golden epaulettes that hung off his shoulders.

The King of Hearts bowed, nearly letting the oversized crown on his head slip off. "I can not express my complete gratitude toward you, young man! It has been ages since I have last seen my little ace in the hole!"

"Father!" Lizzie groaned with embarrassment at the nick he had for her since she was a baby.

"Oh, um . . . no problem." Ben scratched the back of his neck nervously.

The sound of someone clearing their throat broken the brunette out of his love struck daze and snapped him back to reality where he came face to face with the realization that Venus was trying to catch his attention. The plant-monster ghoul pointed down towards her feet and he followed her gaze to see Jane sitting on the ground with a pitifully sour look on her face and the irritatingly resilient dog collar still clamped firmly around her neck; the ludicrously supple chain leash was held firmly in the hand of the Queen of Hearts as she fussed over her daughter, making Ben mentally slap himself for not recognizing the problem sooner.

"Um, your majesty?" he spoke up. "That . . . that pet of yours . . . it isn't a pet. That's my ghoulfriend, Jane. She belongs to me . . . or rather, she doesn't belong to me, but she's not meant to be tied up and pampered like some kind of overweight house cat. Did I mention that she really hates collars?" he added while he tried to give the monarch every reason he could think of to willingly release his ghoulfriend from her possession.

"Now that I get a good look, dear, that doesn't appear to be-" the King of Hearts attempted to reason with his wife.

The Queen of Hearts however, was stubbornly stubborn in her obliviousness and ignored her husband. "Of course she's my pet! What else would be darling, sweetie Cardea be?" she cooed as she lovingly pinched the jungle ghoul's cheek. "Whose a good girl? Whose a good girl? Whose my my precious little girl?"

That was about all Jane could take.

With her anger fueling her unstable genetics, the changes were swift and startling. Her teeth gave off a series of crackling noises as they were ground into enormous, sharpened fangs that tore through her gums like rusted nails; her face bulged outward into a duly pointed snout to accommodate her new dental ware, perfect for capturing prey. Jane's jaw suddenly gave a sickening, crunching noise as new bone was formed from beneath her elongate chin, building into a new mandible lined with razor-sharp cuspids. Her otherwise soft, lavender skin split and cracked into thousands of armored scales that wrapped around her swiftly morphing body, turning a mottled mauve in color. Tissue and flesh in her shoulders and back bloated like a balloon, dramatically increasing the jungle ghoul's frame as she grew until she easily dwarfed everyone around her – they looked like dolls in comparison to her tremendous figure. A series of disturbing crunches and cracks filled the air as Jane's skeleton structure caught up with the rest of her body, forming thick, heavyset bones capable of supporting her multi-ton weight. Her hands trembled and twitched uncontrollably before they abruptly exploded into enormous, crushing mitts tipped with wicked claws when her neck suddenly thrust out from her shoulders in a serpentine fashion; a layer of armored plating raced up from her bulging belly to her throat. A splitting noise from her skull caught her attention and she could do little else but roll her eyes back to watch as a tremendous pair of horns burst forth from her scalp, blossoming and branching out into an impressive rack; the jungle ghoul's spinal column arched and spat out a long, reptilian from the base of her spine. The sound of tearing flesh caught her attention and she felt her back split open, allowing a pair of tremendous, leathery wings that glistened with moisture in the moonlight to unfurl. With azure orbs splitting into two extra pairs to grant her a wider range of vision and the Nemetrix materializing in the form of a heavyset collar at the base of her neck, the transfiguration was completing.

Everyone – even Jane – was at a complete loss for words.

"That's new." Venus remarked, unable to do little else but simply gawk at the gargantuan jabberwocky that had once been her ghoulfriend.

"I'm just a surprised as you are." the prodigious animal rumbled, her voice deep and resonating with the just the hint of femininity to it.

Ben jumped with surprise. "You can talk!?"

"Of course she can, Ben." Lizzie stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "She's a jabberwocky. While the anatomical mechanism of their diaphragm and vocal cords isn't fully understood, they are fully capable of speech and have mastered a multitude of languages. They often love to swap stories and riddles with one another."

"I thought you told me they were unstoppable killing machines?"

"They are. They just happen to be unstoppable killing machines with a love for literature."

"And just when I thought Wonderland couldn't get any weirder . . ." Briar remarked.

If there was one person who didn't seem remotely surprised by Jane's sudden transformation, it was the Queen of Hearts. The royal monarch looked absolutely elated and was happily clapping and giggling excitedly, despite how terrified her husband was. "Oh, you learned a new trick, Cardea! Good girl!" she praised the elephantine beast. "Whose a good girl? Whose a good girl? Whose the bestest pet in the whole wide world?"

The jabberwocky flared a hot breath and all six of her smoldering, cerulean orbs burned like embers in their sockets while she lowered her head down on it's long, serpentine neck to the queen's level and gave her a look as cold as ice. As a low rumble rattled it's way through her throat and a pair of slimy, forked tongues flickered out past her jaws to sample the air before retreating back.

"Allow me to make one thing clear," the jabberwock growled, drawing back her lips to reveal row after row after her spike-like fangs. "I AM NOT YOUR PET!" she roared.

The force of her bellowing was nearly enough to send the King of Hearts flying like a kite had he not grabbed hold of his wife's dress and hung on for dear life, but it was more than enough to bring the party to a complete and abrupt stop. Conversations and chit-chat instantly ceased as everyone stopped what they were doing to turn and stare at the seething jabberwocky that was currently glaring at their queen with the force of a thousand suns. Palace guards were already hurriedly making their way through the crowd to come to the aid of her majesty; the Queen of Hearts hardly seemed in any danger.

"Oh, well, why didn't you just say so?"

Jane blinked all six of her eyes. She couldn't have possibly heard that correctly. "Pardon me?"

"If you weren't meant to be a pet, young lady, you should have told me ages ago!" the monarch laughed.

The jabberwocky was at a loss for words. "B-But I . . . you just- I've been trying to- UUUUUUUGH!" she finally gave up and slammed her head into the ground with enough strength to create a small tremor. That was a good enough of a response for the approaching security cards to back off and return to their former duties and for the party to once again kick back into gear, leaving Jane to wallow in her misery; Venus could do little else but offer her ghoulfriend a sympathetic pat on the muzzle.

Ben was trying to suppress a smile when he felt Raven's held clench just a little tighter in his own. He took one look at her, peering into those vibrant, violet orbs of hers, and instantly knew what she wanted; it was like they shared a mental link. The two of them – plus inevitably Skurd – had discussed it in great length and privacy the moment he had been released from medical ward, even getting the queen's approval in the process. "Is it that time already?"

"What? Is it tea time yet?" Kitty wondered.

"Yay! Tea time!"

Ben rolled his eyes. "Sorry, Maddie, but it's not tea time."

"Awww . . ."

"Ben? Raven? What are you two talking about?" Apple asked.

"Well, we wanted to wait until Lizzie could be here to see it for herself." the young witch replied with a cryptic air.

The Princess of Hearts cocked an eyebrow. "Seeing as how I'm here now, I suppose you wouldn't mind indulging in a young lady's curiosity and answer a simple question: what are you two crafty card sharks up to?" she asked, tenting her fingers with a pleasant smile that hinted at the impatience building up within her.

Raven nodded as she turned to address the Queen of Hearts. "Your majesty? With your permission . . ."

The monarch gestured for the witchling to continue with an approving smile. "Proceed."

"What are you going to do?" Apple wondered.

Raven gave the princess a knowing smile. "You'll see," she replied. "I need to get some height on the situation. Ben, if you wouldn't mind?"

The brunette nodded and tapped the Omnitrix – the only Omnitrix – strapped to his wrist. "Come on, Omnitrix, any flyer will do." he encouraged the device when he was swallowed in a blast of green light that warped his very DNA. The first and most palpable change was to his size – his bones crunched noisily and groaned in protest as they were pushed to their limit, growing bigger and bigger, heavier and heavier with every millisecond. Muscles and tissue weaved and threaded themselves together like strands of yarn, forcing Ben's organs to turn and tumble inside of him. A crackling noise filled the air while his skin solidified into a layer of unknown, cosmic metal that bleached a brilliant white before giving way to the crimson patterns that etched themselves over his body; and still the brunette continued to grow. His hands twitched before abruptly exploding in size, each of his fingers more than twice his original height alone. Fins colored a brilliant maroon thrust out from his broad shoulders and hips and a pair of extra eyes opened up on either side of his cheeks. The sound of tearing flesh filled the air as a pair of enormous burgundy blades erupted forth from the brunette's forearms, followed by a scintillating crest of vermilion that protruded from his skull – and yet, Ben just kept on getting even bigger. A pair of fingerless, black gloves materialized on his gigantic hands and the Omnitrix – followed by an absolutely minuscule Skurd – appeared upon his chest, completing the transfiguration.

"Way Big? Not what I had in mind, Omnitrix!" the To'kustar's voice seemed to make the very earth tremble with every word that he spoke. With movements that were slow and lethargic in comparison to his absolutely immense size, he bent down – taking great care not to step on anyone or anything of importance – and lowered his hand to the ground; his knuckles landed with a small tremor that knocked Apple clean off her feet and made everyone else within a ten-foot radius wobble. The colossal alien remained oblivious to the princess' completely flabbergasted look – a trait shared with pretty much everyone sans Maddie, Kitty, Venus, and Jane – while Raven climbed into the palm of his hand and held on tight as she was ascended into the heavens.

"By the ancestors above!" the King of Hearts proclaimed, now feeling more small than ever.

"That boy never ceases to amaze me." the Queen of Hearts remarked, placing a hand on Lizzie's shoulder. "I certainly hope you made the proper choice, young lady; it would be a shame to let such a dashing young hero go."

"Yes, mother. Yes it would."

The howling maelstrom was but a dozen feet or so from the very tip of his crest – a pitiful distance for someone of his size – and the wind shrieked and screamed like a flock of harpies in his ears. Forked traceries of lightning split the sky of broken shards the color night and the wailing gales fruitlessly pounded away at his tremendous frame. Way Big curled his fingers just the slightest to form a protective cradle around his charge, lest the violent hurricane ripped her free from the safety of his hand.

"Are you ready?" his voice boomed in her ears.

Raven nodded, though she wasn't quite sure the To'kustar could see her clearly through the storm. "Lift me a little higher! I need to be as close as possible!" she shouted over the baleful whirlwinds.

The extraterrestrial titan did as he was asked and raised his hand even higher until the young witchling was easily over a hundred feet off the ground above his head – to the point where she was just about able to reach out at grab at the angry swirling mess of chaotic arcane energy. The To'kustar tightened his hold on her even further, shutting out the howling winds and roaring lightning as did so until she was nearly enclosed in his fist; only a small hole between his thumb and index finger remained.

Now shrouded in near total darkness, Raven closed her eyes and attempted to empty her mind of any unnecessary thought. The curse upon Wonderland was a complicated one to craft and even more difficult to reverse. Her mother – a witch in her prime – would have easily been able to do such a thing, but she still only an adolescent; while still possible, she lacked the necessary experience. She was essentially flying in completely blind as a bat.

The young witch sucked in a deep breath to calm herself and began to chant the incantation, her hands making the necessary movements to craft the spell and force it to work. "From bad to good, to better from worse! From Wonderland I now remove this curse!" she invoked the dark magic that coursed through her veins.

A column of blazing hot, heliotrope flame blossomed from Raven's palm as she raised her hand towards the sky and aimed for the hole between Way Big's thumb and finger. A pillar of fire erupted forth from the To'kustar's clenched fist and into the very center of the raging vortex overhead with an explosive boom! The storm – as expected – reacted violently with lashes of lightning splitting the sky in two and thunder threatening to tear the very heavens down to the earth, as if it were resisting against the witchling's command with every fiber of it's being. Eventually however, the maelstrom began to give away, allowing a small hole to be poked in its defenses and from this a purple and lavender blaze attacked the arcane hurricane, eating away storm like a flame to an oil spill.

Soon enough, the savage squall gave way to the tranquil expanse of the night sky and the remaining magic of Raven's spell radiated outwards in a powerful pulse across the whole of Wonderland. Even while her brobdingnagian protector uncurled his ginormous fist and released the tight hold he had been keeping on her she couldn't see the full affects, but she could feel them; the air felt a little fresher, maybe even a little sweet-smelling, and there was a strange sort of peace that seemed to quell her worries and make her forget about her problems for a little while.

"Did it work?" Way Big's asked her with a thunderous voice when she was lowered down to eye-level.

"I don't know, you tell me. You're the one with eyes the size of an elephant." Skurd was quick to point out with a sarcastic tone.

"Almost. There's one more thing I have to do first." Raven replied, ignoring the Slimebiote's mocking quips as she closed her eyes a second time. She cleared her mind once more of any random or irrational thoughts and instead turned her focus to the festivities far, far, far below her and relished in the joy that was created as a result; a celebration for Wonderland's restoration and freedom – a victory that had to be shared with all of Ever After – was in order. With a pleasant smile on her lips, the witchling began to chant an invocation while she wove and threaded her arms in an intricate pattern to fabricate the spell. "The nightmare's done. The day has dawned! So let's join as one and party on!" she recited.

No sooner had the words passed over her lips than did dozens upon dozens of brilliant, shimmering golden beams of light suddenly cast down from the stars above like a forest of dazzling sunbeams, bathing the palace grounds in the warm glow; figures began to appear in pairs one after the other, each within their own individual spotlight. From her position above it all, Raven could just make out Ashlynn and Hunter, Dexter and Daring, and Bunny and Alistair and still more of her friends and classmates continued to arrive – Ginger and Skelita, Sparrow and Duchess, Clawdeen and Whisp, they were all there – until the turnout for the party had nearly doubled in size.

"Now it worked." Raven smiled proudly at her handiwork, watching as her friends and fellow classmates only took moments to take note of their surroundings before joining in the celebrations (even if a few visibly nearly wet themselves at the sight of Way Big towering over them all).

The To'kustar took that as his cue to cautiously crouch back down to the ground a second time – drawing a large amount of attention towards himself in the process – and he tenderly laid his hand down to allow Raven to scramble off of his tremendous palm. Once he was sure that he had enough room, the colossus stood back up and drew himself to his full height before he raised a gargantuan hand and brought it down on the Omnitrix disk fused to his chest; a blast of brilliant malachite light swathed over him and returned the To'kustar back to his original human form.

No sooner had the metamorphic glow worn off than were he and Raven set upon by Lizzie. The princess had to awkwardly lean forward in order to pull them into an ungainly hug, but from the tears of joy that were trickling down her alabaster cheeks, he doubted she hardly cared. "Th-Thank you! I-I . . . I d-don't know . . . I don't*sniff* know how else to possibly say it, but*sniff* th-thank you! Thank you ever so much!" she tearfully embraced them.

"Maybe you could start by maybe letting us go?" Raven suggested. "I mean, I know we're not exactly in your position, but we're still a little tender."

The Princess of Hearts did as was requested of her after drying her tears and released her hold on the young witch. What happened next however, caught everyone completely by surprise when she grabbed hold of the front of Ben's emerald tuxedo, yanked him down to her level, and firmly pressed her ruby lips to his own in an intense and and fiery kiss.

Lizzie held him like that for what seemed to be the longest time in that sweet, precious moment. She had heard tall tales from Apple about how kissing Ben was an experience beyond words and that every time he laid a finger on her she was overwhelmed with feelings and emotions so intense that she couldn't hope to properly describe them; the young monarch had initially shrugged those off as pure blatherskite. Now that she had experienced it firsthand however, she could confirm that the rumors were, in fact, true.

The sudden need for air – and the realization that she was surrounded by her future subjects – eventually forced the two of them apart and left Ben breathless with a bright splash of maroon on his face that matched Lizzie's own fierce, crimson blush quiet nicely.

"So . . . does this mean what I think it means?" the brunette asked with a slight smirk once he had gotten over the shock.

"Well, that depends on what you think it means." Lizzie gave him an alluring smirk, licking her lips as she did so. "If what you think it means is what I know it means, then yes, it does mean what you think it means. If what I know it means and what you think it means are not one and the same, then no, it doesn't mean what you think it means. Does it?"

"Oh, my aching head." Skurd whined.

The sound of one clearing their throat caught Lizzie's attention and she realized that her private moment with Ben hadn't exactly been the most private it could have been. A mixture of shocked looks and teasing smiles from friends greeted her from practically all angles – as well as the perspective simper that her parents proudly wore.

"Er . . . if it may please you, mother, father, I believe I have made my decision." the princess smiled sheepishly.

"Then I shall ask you again so that you may answer," the Queen of Hearts nodded with approval. "Do you, Lizzie Hearts, heir to the Hearts clan throne and the whole of Wonderland, accept?"

The young monarch only hesitated for a second before answering. "I do."

"Then by the power vested in me by myself, her majesty the Queen of Hearts, and the ancestors above, I now pronounce you, Ben Tennyson and Lizzie Hearts as husband and wife and as my heirs and successors to the throne of Wonderland!" the Queen of Hearts declared at the top of her lungs, more than loud enough for the entire party to hear.

"Ahem."

"Oopsie! I meant our heirs and successors to the throne of Wonderland. My bad, dearie!"

"What!?" Apple was at a loss for words.

"What!?" Briar cried.

"What!?" Skurd shouted with disbelief.

"WHAT!?" Venus and Jane yelled with repudiation.

"Wait, WHAT!?" Ben exclaimed.

"Huh. What do you know, Maddie was right." Raven mused.

"You owe me a soda!" the Hatter declared as she suddenly popped out of the treetops, hanging upside down from a low hanging branch and playfully tapping the young witch on the nose. "I also accept all forms of credit, cash, teas, and pastries."

Ben was reeling from the sudden revelation, even when he felt Lizzie's fingers thread through his own and give his hand a firm squeeze. He was still reeling when Jane – having returned to her original form after getting over her frustrations – left with Venus to go in search of the buffet table, having gone quite a while without eating something that didn't resemble pet food.

He was in fact so busy reeling, that he barely even registered being tackled to the ground by an unknown assailant until the last minute. The two of them went rolling across the grass in a tangle of arms and legs and came to a stop a short distance away; Ben was roughly pinned against the ground and had the wind knocked out of him. Before he could gasp for breath, a pair of lips fiercely and passionately kissed him with all their might, a set of claws roughly – yet tenderly – cupping his chin and pinioning his shoulder to the ground. It only took Ben mere seconds to realize what had just happened and who was currently on top of him, straddling him with her chocolate thighs and great lycanthrope strength.

"Clawdeen?"

The werewolf had finally released him from her hold and was now glaring at him with her piercing, golden eyes. "Don' you ever disappear on me again! Do you hear me!?" she growled as she suddenly slapped him across the face.

"Well, I'm sorry if I scared you-"

"You should be! Do you have any idea how worried we were!?"

Salvation came in the form of Skelita's soothing, motherly tone and her delicate, bony fingers. "Fácil, Clawdeen. No hay necesidad de preocuparse como una gallina madre. I am sure Ben did not intentionally mean to disappear without a trace." she placated the agitated werewolf, prying off her white knuckled grip with her skeletal digits.

"Gracias, mi amor." Ben grunted as he was finally allowed to sit up, rubbing at the sting, red hand print that pasted itself across his left cheek while he dusted himself off.

"De nada, mi amor."

Clawdeen grumbled sourly, crossly folding her arms over her bust while she fell onto her knees. "Alright, I mighta overreacted," she huffed hotly. "But what's this 'bout you getting married!?"

A puff of sweet-smelling, melanoid smoke exploded directly beyond her and a pair of hands tightly gripped the werewolf's shoulders and spun her around. "What's this I hear about a wedding?" Whisp asked. "Ooh! Should we invite Cleopatra and Caesar? I hear they make a mean salad!"

"Evidently, Hero Boy over here's getting' married." Clawdeen groused, jerking a thumb over in Ben's direct.

"About time we got to that part of the story," Whisp quickly deduced, leaving everyone – sans Maddie and Kitty – greatly confused. A thought suddenly occurred to the genie. "Did she tell you about the Wonderland Proposal of the Gibberish-spouting Jabberwocky yet or not?"

"The ancient tradition of the Wonderland what now?" Ben was more confused than ever as he looked to Lizzie for answers, albeit with an accusing glare.

The King of Hearts cleared his throat and adjusted his spectacles as he explained, turning his daughter's face a beet red as a result. "The Wonderland Proposal of the Gibberish-spouting Jabberwocky is an ancient tradition that dates back to the very first ruler of the Hearts clan. In short, it is stated that whomever seeks the hand of another will do so by declaring it for all to hear in as much detail as possible in the ancient tongue of the Gibberish-spouting Jabberwocky."

Realization began to creep up on Ben like a gigantic spider closing in on its hapless prey. "Wait a minute . . . back there when I was Rath . . . you're telling me that I-"

"Proposed to my daughter in a very detailed and sexual manner in front of all my subjects at my birthday party?" the Queen of Hearts interrupted and summed up with an amused smirk.. "Yes, that does seem to be the case. I don't think I need to remind you then, young man, that I expect you to take care of my beloved Lizzie if you want to keep your head where it belongs. And I am not referring to the one upon your shoulders either." she added with devious look that made the brunette cringe inwardly.

Regardless of the queen's threat, he was at a loss for words. Surprisingly, he was handling the unexpected turn of events rather well, even if it did trawl up some rather unpleasant memories – namely of those involving a certain Tetramand princess whose hand he had previously been betrothed to. Regardless of the circumstances, his ghouls seemed to be taking the news rather well and Maddie and Kitty hardly seemed bothered by the fact that their best friend was suddenly married to their boyfriend in the slightest. That only left one last lose end . . .

"Apple?"

The sound of Ben's voice startled ther from her vegetative, contemplative state. "Y-Yes?"

"How're you handling things?" Ben asked skeptically. He had little reason to believe that the princess would unexpectedly explode on him, but given the way she had ruthlessly bludgeoned Courtly over the head with her own weapon like a deranged maniac not too long ago – not to mention the fact that she was still uncomfortable with the idea of being part of a harem – the brunette wasn't taking any chances.

"F-Fine . . . just fine." Apple tried to keep her voice from wobbling and sighed wistfully. "I just . . . I just need some time to think this over. I'm really happy for you, though! Congratulations, Lizzie!"

No one bought the facade for a moment. "Apple . . . if you want to talk, just let us know. We'll be there for you." Raven promised.

The Daughter of Snow White smiled. "Thanks . . . it's just a lot to take in, you know? First Wonderland, then Courtly and the Storybook of Legends, and now . . . this." she gestured her hands wildly, not really pointing towards anything but more or less pantomiming everything in general. "It's just so much to take in! I don't know how you do it, Ben!"

"An open mind helps more than you think," the brunette offered an answer. "And a harem of beautiful ghouls and girls all pining for your attention never hurt either." he added, earning a cuff upside the head from Clawdeen.

"Don' push yer luck. I'm still mad at you." the werewolf growled.

"Yeah, but then my manly charms will eventually chip away at that tough exterior of yours and we'll be back to screwing each other at every opportunity."

"Is that an offer?" Clawdeen flashed him a seductive smile.

Ben fired back with a wisecrack of his own. "As much as I'd love to, I don't think my wife isn't ready to share quite yet. We haven't gone our honeymoon yet, and I'd hate to ruin the experience for her." he chuckled when Lizzie protectively latched onto his arm and sent a possessive glare off in the lycanthrope's direction while completely ignoring Apple's ripened face.

Kitty gagged with a roll of her eyes. "Ugh, I think I'm going hack up a hairball."

"Be thankful that you are free to physically leave the conversation whenever you like." Skurd mumbled. "I swear, the things my host and his spouses do with their spare time!"

"You know, there isn't anything that says you can't just leave." Ben pointed out.

"And miss out on this movable feast? I think not!"

"Speaking of moving," Lizzie brought the ceaseless banter to an end. "Might I suggest that we enjoy ourselves at my mother's birthday in order to commemorate our betrothal, my husband?" she drew out the words like how one would savor the taste of their favorite food.

"Oh, what a splendid idea!" the Queen of Hearts agreed.

"Whatever you say, Mrs. Tennyson." Ben shot back and smirked when he saw how flustered the princess had gotten.

Briar felt like she was going to be sick. "Get a room, you two!"

"Mmmm, not a bad suggestion." Lizzie purred, leaning a little more into Ben's side with a flirtatious smile.

"How about we just enjoy the party?" the brunette suggested.

"Whatever you say, dear."

Raven couldn't help but chuckle as she watched as the two newlyweds went off in search of the buffet table with the Queen of Hearts in tow and already making plans for an official wedding and suggestions for potential baby names when the time came for the two of them to produce an heir to the throne; the result was a splash of brilliant coral across Ben's face and a provocative, teasing smile from Lizzie. Having run out of both tea and catnip-laced tarts, Maddie and Kitty soon disappeared into the crowd of party guests after recruiting Clawdeen, Skelita, and Whisp in their quest for the elusive buffet table as well, which reportedly had a habit of moving from place to place when it began to feel a little claustrophobic.

The young witch was about to join them when she heard Briar beckon for them. "Raven? Apple? Do you mind if I talk to you for a second?"

A look of confusion was shared between the witchling and young monarch as they followed the princess away from the loud festivities of the party and off down a cobblestone path that led toward a quieter section of the palace grounds. Here, towering trees and decorative benches offered shade and a comfortable place to rest for stragglers or loners who preferred their own company and towering walls of carefully trimmed hedges and freshly painted rose bushes offered secluded spots for couples and those that had gotten a little too tipsy during the celebrations.

Apple tried not to cringe when she heard the sound of someone losing their lunch behind a hedge groomed into the shape of a flamingo or stumbled upon a trail of clothes that led off into a stand of rustling rose bushes that were moaning and groaning far too much for their own good.

Eventually, they found Briar waiting for them under the roof of a small gazebo that stood humbly at the center of a heart-shaped pond on a little island whose only access was by way of a modest bridge. The princess had her back to them and seemed to be internally debating with something that she was carrying in her arms, gnawing anxiously at her bottom lip.

"So . . . what's up?" Raven asked.

The Daughter of Sleeping Beauty heaved a small sigh. "Well, I've been trying to tell you for a while," she turned around with a forlorn face. Clutched in her arms with its ornate, maroon cover, golden embellishments at each corner, and the contemplative looking glass that peered out them with an enlightened gleam, the centuries old manuscript was unmistakable. "See . . . it's my fault that the Storybook of Legends ended up here in the first place . . . I . . . sorta threw it down the Well of Wonder." she shamefully admitted.

Apple was taken aback. "What? But why?"

"I didn't want to have to follow my destiny!" Briar exclaimed, startling Raven and Apple at her sudden outburst. "The sleeping my life away only to be woken up by some stranger I've never met and losing all my friends!? Why should I be forced to live a life that horrible!? Why should I live that life if it isn't the one that I want!?"

The princess was breathless after her confession and slumped back against the railing of the gazebo to catch her breath, folding in on herself when she did so as if she suddenly felt vulnerable. "I know we were taught that following our destiny was important . . . but . . . what if we're wrong?"

An awkward silence fell over them, it's smothering veil only interrupted by the faint roar of the party far across the palace grounds and the soothing sound of crickets playing their nightly serenade in the grass. The pond gently lapped against its shore in a steady, calming rhythm that was only punctured by the slight disturbance of a laughing fish flicking its tail beneath the surface or the sudden cacophony of a tomato frog shattering the pond's tranquility.

"Things use to be so simple," Apple eventually broke the stillness, her voice soft and barely more than a whisper. "You signed the book, you lived your destiny. But now, if anyone can use the book to steal a destiny . . . maybe the book is more trouble than its worth . . ."

"Apple . . ." Raven gasped. "Are . . . you saying what I think you're saying?"

"Maybe . . . I don't know," the princess sighed with frustration, digging her nails into her golden locks as she held her head. "There's just so much to deal with right now! We saved Wonderland, Courtly's been defeated, Ben and Lizzie are suddenly married to one another, and now we have the real Storybook of Legends! It's . . . it's so much to take in! How does anyone deal with this many priorities!?"

Raven a small smile and placed a soothing hand on Apple's shoulder. "Tomorrow isn't something you can always prepare for. I think the best thing you can do is just take things one day at a time."

"I guess . . ." the Daughter of Snow White reluctantly agreed.

"Either way, Apple, it's ultimately up to you." Briar pressed the thick volume of the Storybook of Legends into her arms, startling the surprised princess. "We already know what we want to do with our destiny. Now it's up to you to decide what to do with yours."

The young monarch gulped as she clutched the book tightly to her chest. She felt like she was being uncomfortably smothered with the sudden descion she had to make, as if a great weight had been placed upon her shoulders. "Is it alright if I take some time to think about this?" she asked hesitantly.

"Of course. Take things one day at a time, remember?" Raven smiled.

The princess breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks. I guess we should back and enjoy the party, huh?"

"After all we've been through, I am more than ready to P-A-R-T-Y!" Briar chanted, earning chuckles of amusement from Apple and Raven as they turned to head back in the direction of the festival.

By the time they had returned, the celebration was back in full swing. Now that the safety of Wonderland was no longer a concern, the citizens could put their minds at least and instead put all their energy into celebrating its restoration and the reunion of it's queen and princess; the proposal from a hero of immediate legend to their future ruler was merely another reason to celebrate. Fairy wine flowed in bountiful gallons and the music never seemed to stop as guests of all shapes, sizes, and varying amounts of madness jumped and jived to the beat.

A series of startled screams and the sound of clattering dinnerware caught Apple's attention and she peered through the ever shifting crowd just in time to catch a glimpse of Maddie – whom had inexplicably had a sudden growth spurt that had her towering over everyone – and Whisp chasing after what looked like a living, moving buffet table with a pair of butterfly nets as their choice of weapons like children. Whether or not the odd choice of arms would actually work was up for debate, but it hardly seemed to deter the Hatter and genie from their invigorating hunt; in all honesty, it didn't surprise her that much.

What did surprise her however, was when a blur of crimson came barreling out of the crowd at a breakneck speed and all but slammed into Raven with the force of a bullet, nearly knocking the witchling to the ground. At first, Apple though that she was being attacked and very nearly whacked the unknown assailant over the head with the Storybook of Legends before she realized that Raven wasn't in any danger, barring from possibly suffocating.

"Raven! You're safe!"

"Cerise?" the young witch coughed out.

The Riding Hood quickly realized that she was accidentally crushing her closest friend and immediately loosened her hold, her face flushing a light red in embarrassment. A budding sensation warmed her at her core and she sighed heavenly at Raven's natural fragrance – dark magic with a touch of lavender and lilacs – and allowed her senses to be overwhelmed; her pounding pulse began to slow and steady and a feeling of serenity and comfort overcame her when she felt the witchling's arms encircle themselves around her.

Cerise didn't know how it was possible, but Raven made every hug feel like it was the best one in the whole world. Even the warm embraces she would receive from her parents when they would meet with one another in secret paled in comparison to the assuage affection she felt right now.

It was then that she also realized that she and Raven weren't exactly alone.

"Um . . . er, I'll go get us some punch," the half-breed bashfully pulled away and dashed off into the sea of party guests with her hood tugged tight over her deep, red face.

"Anyone else think that was a little weird?" Briar wondered.

"A little . . ." Raven couldn't help but stare at the spot in the crowd where Cerise had disappeared. She found herself strangely missing her presence and the warmth of her hood. Did that sound creepy? She really didn't want to make one of her closest and only friends feel uncomfortable.

"Whoa!" Briar suddenly yelped as a panicked buffet table came galloping past them as fast as its legs could carry it. Dinnerware clinked and clanked precariously along its back and occasionally splashed unfortunate onlookers as Maddie came thundering past with her butterfly net raised over her head like a sword. With a battle cry, the Hatter made a mad dash for the buffet table and lashed out with her net, only succeeding in catching an unfortunate patch of checkerboard grass that happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Aw, darn. I was so close!" Maddie pouted, looming over them by several startling feet.

"Aye . . . he's a crafty one . . . I'll give 'im that." Whisp panted, breathless from their chase. "But sooner or later, he'll slip up and then . . . then we shall have our prize! You hear me, you Machiavellian piece of furniture!? You can run, but you can't hide!"

Briar raised an eyebrow. "Um . . . what are you two doing?"

The genie brightened up immediately. "Ah, Briar Beauty of the Almighty Crimson Rose clan, so nice of you to finally join us! Come, join us in our hunt, and we shall revel in our triumph together!" she dramatically proclaimed as she snapped her fingers and summoned an extra butterfly net into the princess's hands.

"Cavalry forward!" Maddie shouted at the top of her lungs before she and Whisp charged forward and disappeared into the crowd. Briar hesitated for exactly three seconds while she examined the butterfly net she had been given before shrugging her shoulders and giving chase after the Hatter and djinni.

"That was . . . I want to say 'weird', but I don't think that fully covers what just happened." Apple mused.

"And it's about to get weirder." Raven remarked when she caught sight of the Queen of Hearts making her way towards her. It wasn't that difficult either, as everyone who so much as desired to keep their head on their shoulders practically threw themselves out of her way so that she had at dozen feet between her and her subjects at all times.

"Raven, she's a queen! That's disresepctful!" Apple hissed.

"She's the Queen of Wonderland! It's a compliment!"

"You don't take Kingdom Management! The first rule when it comes to addressing royalty: always treat them with respect!"

"Well, it's not my fault Headmaster Grimm refuses to enroll me! Do you know how much I had to threaten to turn him into a toad to get him to let me take Muse-ic?"

"I thought you said you got in because of your musical talents!?"

"Do you honestly believe Headmaster Grimm would even-"

"Ahem. I do hope I'm not interrupting anything of great importance?" the Queen of Hearts cut in, immediately silencing the two bickering roommates.

Apple tried to keep herself composed. "N-No, you're majesty."

The queen gave them both a discerning smile and nodded. "I should hope not, because I have a favor to ask of you two. Or rather, of Miss Queen." she turned to Raven. "My daughter is a huge fan of your music, my dear. Before our reunion, we would send messages to one another over the Mirrornet whenever the few portals that were left open aligned ever so slightly to get a proper signal through and oh, by the ancestors, she wouldn't stop talking about you or your band! She even sent me a recording of your debut performance, and I must say that I am quite impressed, young lady; you really have yourself some talent!"

"Oh, w-well . . . uh, thank you . . ." the young witch wasn't use to praise, much less coming from the Ruler of Wonderland.

"Oh, don't be modest!" the Queen of Hearts laughed. "Regardless, I wish to ask of you to perform for my daughter's wedding reception. I know, I know, it is a little last minute notice, but in all fairness, how was I suppose to know that my dear, sweet Lizzie was going to be proposed to by such a charming, young man?" she sighed longingly before she realized that she was getting off track. "So, do you accept?"

Raven shifted about uneasily. She still wasn't use to the fact that the band that she had created on a whim – and a very angry one at that – was so popular among so many people. Very few people had ever fully acknowledged her musical talent and had instead preferred to run away in the opposite direction as fast as possible, often injuring themselves in the process; maybe that was why she was so uncomfortable with performing in front of large crowds. She simply wasn't use to the sudden change in attitude.

And then the witchling remembered when she had been given a toy violin for her fifth birthday. She had adored it the moment she had opened the box and had spent hours upon hours teaching herself how to play it when no one was willing to teach her; her father certainly wasn't a musician by any stretch of the word. She remembered how her father had smiled so proudly when she first performed for him in her bedroom and the satisfaction she had felt when she had finally finished her piece.

That was when she began to fill her head with dreams of becoming a famous musician with thousands of screaming, adoring fans all chanting her name at concerts that would have been sold out for months on end instead of the monster that everyone claimed she was doomed to become. When her father had upgraded her violin to her beloved electric bass for her thirteenth birthday, she had felt like she was taking the first steps to finally achieving that dream . . .

And now here she was, getting the chance to take another step toward making that dream come true.

"I do. I'll play for you." Raven agreed.

"Splendid!" the Queen of Hearts excitedly clapped her hands.

"On one condition," the young witch added as she carefully pried the Storybook of Legends out of Apple's hands with a meaningful look in the princess's direction. "Since this is Ben's wedding reception, too, he won't be able to perform with us. I need you to guard this with your very life so that Apple can take his place."

The Daughter of Snow White was surprised, to say the least. "Raven . . . y-you . . . me? Perform? On stage? In your band?"

"You have a beautiful singing voice, Apple. Trust me, you'll be fine." the witchling reassured her.

The Queen of Hearts was quick to agree and eagerly snatched the Storybook of Legends from Raven. "You have my word as a queen. I'll put my best men on the job and if they know what's good for them, they won't let it out of their sight. In fact, my guards are at your beck and call; whatever you need for your performance, they will be more than happy to comply. And if they give you any trouble, just threaten to behead them! That's what I always do!" she chuckled heartily.

The two roommates awkwardly laughed along. "Um, right. We'll be sure to remember that."

"Good. Now then . . . GUARDS!"

Raven had to admit, the Queen of Hearts really knew how to motivate her forces when need be.

In an impossible amount of time, the platoon of playing cards that had been placed under their command had succeeded in assembling a stage for their performance, as well as gathering all the necessary sound and audio equipment, lights, and a ridiculous length of extension cord to power it all. While the young witch had taken up the task of gathering the band members to her and Apple, the guards had rushed to collect all of their instruments and had rounded them up in record time – a gleaming, brass trumpet for Dexter, a set of turntables for Melody Piper, and a collection of giant mushrooms that had been dug up and placed in pots for Maddie to bang around on.

They had even managed to find an electric bass that was all but identical to the witchling's own, beloved instrument, right down to the golden engraving on the back from her father, "To my little bird. May you spread your wings and soar". While the thought of a squadron of security cards breaking into her own dorm back at Ever After High disturbed her a little, she had to admire their dedication to their job.

Then again, if the alternative was being beheaded . . .

"Are you sure about this?" Dexter nervously fingered the valves of his trumpet. "I-I-I mean, I've only perf-formed once w-with you girls, a-and besides, I have st-stage fright and-"

Maddie giggled as she experimentally tapped the assortment of oversized mushrooms that she dwarfed with her sudden growth spurt in the absence of a functioning drum kit; the spotted cap of each fungus behaved exactly like the top head of a drum. "Don't worry, Dexter! With Melody handling the rest of the entertainment for the night, you'll be back to dancing with your girlfriend in no time!"

"Sh-She's not my girlfriend!" the young prince immediately protested. "Cupid's j-just a friend who happens to a girl, th-that's all!"

Apple however, was far from convinced. "Oh, come on, Dexter! Everyone can see it! Even I know that you two like each other!"

The prince swallowed anxiously and tried to hide his embarrassment. "I-I d-don't know wh-what you're t-talking about."

"Whatever you say, Dex-man." Melody rolled her eyes with a smirk while she messed around with her turntables, making sure that she had her Mirrorphone plugged in and tuned to her best beats. "Just do us all a little favor when this lil' number's over, hmm?

"Wh-What?"

"Give the lil' honey a good time." the DJ winked, leaving the Son of Prince Charming sputtering in confusion.

Raven couldn't help but chuckle at his denial. It was nice to see that he had gotten over her rejection, moved on, and yet still managed to remain the same shy and tentative dork that she had come to see as one of her Best Friends Forever After, perhaps even a surrogate brother of sorts. It was even better that he had finally begun to notice Cupid's not-so-secret crush on him, even if he still wasn't completely aware of it.

The young witch brushed a lock of her mauve hair out of her face and looped the strap of her electric bass over her shoulder and gave an empirical strum of it's strings, earning a pleasing sound as a result. "You guys ready to rock?"

"Abso-tively poso-lutely yepperoni with extra cheese please!" Maddie affirmed.

Melody flashed her a thumbs up. "Pump up the volume!"

"Ready when you are, Raven." Dexter took a deep to calm his nerves and tried to ignore the amused sound of his alter ego's voice in his head.

"Um . . . let's do this?" Apple tried.

Raven simpered. "It's a start," she smiled before she turned to the microphone and gave it a few experimental taps, creating a loud thumping noise through the speakers that quickly caught the attention of the massive crowd that had gathered before them. "Hellooooooo, Wonderland!" her voice droned out into a mighty hail that was soon drowned out by a chorus of cheers and praise. "By request of her majesty, the Queen of Hearts, Raven and the Rebels have been asked to perform for the newly wedded couple!"

Peering out over the gathered crowd, the young witch could just make out the two spots of deep, pulsating red that were Ben and Lizzie's faces when the audience parted to form a large circle around them, cheering and shouting their approval at the top of their lungs. The brunette swallowed anxiously as he took hold of the princess's ivory fingers with his shaking, trembling hands and sucked in a deep breath to calm his restless nerves.

"The Great Ben Tennyson afraid to dance with his wife?" Lizzie teased.

Ben's once apprehensive look was quickly replaced with his familiar fervor. "OooooOOooooOOooh, now you asked for it!"

The young monarch smirked. "I look forward to it."

"You two are sickening." Skurd moaned from the brunette's shoulder.

Raven smiled and flashed the happy couple a wink. "Get ready to show everyone your moves, you two! This ones for you!" she announced.

The song started off with the simple, repetitive strumming of Raven's guitar strings and the soft, steady tapping of one of the mushroom's in Maddie's collection, creating a calming and quaint rhythm."I will stay by you even when we fall."

"I will be the rock that holds you up and lifts you high so you stand tall."

Lizzie flushed a soft red as Ben pushed on her palms and sent her rolling back in her wheelchair, quickly assuming the roll of the lead as he advanced on her and made her twist and spin in place while he did all the work. It wasn't exactly the best either of them could have offered one another, but given the circumstances they didn't seem to really care.

Apple couldn't but smile as she watched the two newlyweds work themselves out and joined in with Raven's beautiful voice on the next verse. "I won't let you go, no one can take your place."

"A couple fights & lonely nights don't make it right to let it go to waste."

At that moment, the music gave a slight pause before it exploded into a cacophony of sound and euphony heralded forth by a triumphant blast from Dexter's trumpet. With a single twist of his arm, Ben sent his bride spinning and caught her before leading her off to the upbeat tempo that had been set, earning applause and cheers of approval from his friends and classmates.

"I won't let you fall, I won't let you go!" Raven and Apple's voices intertwined with each other so comfortably.

"No matter where you are, no matter where you are, I'll be there!"

"No matter where you are, no matter where you are, I'll be there!"

"I will hold on to everything we've got. A quitter, a regretter, and forgetter is everything I'm not," the song fell back into its quieter roots. Lizzie had slowed her husband's pace as a result and allowed him to continue to lead her as they followed the music's rhythm retreated back into a comfortable waltz. With the slightest push and pull, the brunette was able to guide her through the twists and turns of the dance and not once did he take his eyes off her.

"I'll take care of you and love you just because you and I are better than forever."

"Nothing can stop us!"

The chorus took center stage for a second time and Lizzie found herself blushing a muted crimson when she caught sight of her mother watching from the edges of the crowd, uncontrollably sobbing as she watched her daughter dance with the man that she loved. "I won't let you fall, I won't let you go!"

"No matter where you are, no matter where you are, I'll be there!"

"No matter where you are, no matter where you are, I'll be there!"

By now, the music had all but fallen silent, save for the quiet plucking of Raven's guitar strings and her graceful voice. A comfortable reticence fell over the crowd like a wave as they watched husband and wife embrace one another like no one else possibly could. Every movement, every gesture they made was one of complete tenderness and the special kind of love that never died, a sacred moment that would withstand the tests of time. "We can be the generation who learns how to love."

"Mistakes & empty promises will never be enough."

"To tear apart the giant hearts that beat inside us now."

"Let's conquer the percentages and rise above the crowd!"

The music reached a tremendous crescendo as it charged into the final chorus and the audience burst into a deafening roar of applause as they joined the newly wedded couple on the dance floor. Ben took hold of Lizzie's hand as the music soared and guided her in a circle around him, feeling her fingers graze against his back and hips when she rolled around him while he jumped and jived. She circumscribed him twice before she took hold of his hand and held her arm up as high as she could to spin him around; the top hat had to be taken off and the pressure put on his aching ribs when he had to duck made him cringe slightly, but the brunette managed to make it without much difficulty.

Despite their injuries and restrictions, the two newlyweds happily shimmied and boogied to the beat of the encouraging melody , occasionally glancing at other couples that had decided to join in the fun. Through the ever shuffling bodies, Ben could make out Ashlynn and Hunter naturally together in each others' arms and Sparrow once again trying to sneak up onto the stage to steal the spotlight before he was abruptly pulled back by Cerise – who looked just about ready to murder anyone that dared to interrupt Raven's performance.

"I won't let you fall!"

Towards the edge of the crowd, Lizzie caught a glimpse of her parents happily sashaying with one another, even if it seemed a little one-sided – the King of Hearts was so short that the queen was able to effortlessly pick up him up and hold him in her arms while they tangoed. Not too far away, the princess spotted Kitty and Whisp apparently having a dance battle of sorts that involved shuffling about on their hands to the upbeat tempo; neither of them seemed willing to give in to the other any time soon, if ever. Documenting the entire standoff with her trusty Mirrorphone was Blondie, though Lizzie doubted that was all she was documenting if the way her eyes constantly kept flickering in her direction with a wantoning look was any indication.

It seemed an interview was inevitable.

"I won't let you go!"

Unsurprisingly, Ben caught sight of Venus in a hot and spicy samba, completely unashamed of the looks they got whenever the plant-monster ghoul's moves got particularly provocative and turned the shape-shifter's features a smoldering magenta as a result. Despite her discomfort around werewolves, Skelita and Clawdeen were having a grand old time with one another to the cadence created by the former's rattling cartilage as she jived and jumped about. And even if he couldn't stop starring at himself in his handheld mirror for less than five minutes, that didn't stop Daring from dancing with Duchess, even if the swan maiden looked like she was going to lose it if he spent another second winking at himself.

"No matter where you are, no matter where you are, I'll be there!"

No matter where you are, no matter where you are I'll be there!"

The two newlyweds grabbed each other by the forearms and Ben twisted his legs while he pushed to roll his wife around in a tight circle before reversing his steps and taking her in the opposite direction. The brunette gave his wife a quick spin before he let her go and gave her a short amount of time to show off her moves by herself, even if all she could do was roll back and forth at the moment; he wasn't exactly any better, as the tightness in his chest prevented him from doing anything overly extravagant or marvelous. If the way Lizzie was laughing was any indication however, she didn't care in the slightest and was enjoying every second of their unofficial wedding.

Without warning, the Princess of Hearts lashed out, latched onto her husband's wrist, and gave a sharp yank that had him stumbling back. The brunette attempted to regain his balance while he wobbled until the back of his foot caught on the wheel of her wheelchair and sent him falling right into her lap, earning a blush of embarrassment from him while she flashed him a wicked grin.

"I'll be there."

Raven fought to suppress her laughter at the sight of the passionate couple and instead channeled her energy into slowing down the song to the simple plucking of her strings and the cadenced beats of Maddie's mushrooms. She watched while they sat there, slowly spinning in place on Lizzie's wheelchair and completely oblivious to everything around them as they drifted closer . . . and closer . . . and closer . . . and the young witch couldn't help but smile when she watched them finally give in to the moment and share a deep, libidinous kiss with one another when the song closed with a sharp crescendo.

"I'll be there."

The crowd erupted into a dissonance of praise and applause as the witchling struck a wild chord and a dramatic pose to end the song. Maddie had long since destroyed her drum set – again – and was absentmindedly munching on a piece of one of her smashed mushrooms before she was engulfed in a puff of glimmering, sweet smelling smoke and returned to her usual stature, much to her brief disappointment. Dexter and Melody bowed to the welcoming acclaim from the audience and Apple was overcome with a sense of wonder and completion; was this what Raven felt like every time she performed? It felt amazing!

Eventually, the natural need for air forced Ben and Lizzie to break away from one another with the ever familiar coral blush that had danced back and forth between their faces for the past few hours. With a sigh of contentment, the princess hugged her husband a little tighter and rested her head on his chest, as if forbidding him from leaving – not that he was complaining.

"Nothing can possibly ruin this moment." the brunette murmured softly.

Skurd – who had politely remained silent for the past several minutes – found it appropriate to smack his host upside the head. "You fool! You've doomed us all!"

"Oh, please, Skurd. What's the worst thing that could happen?" Lizzie scoffed.

The Slimebiote all but wailed as the sounds of panic and confusion came from the back of the crowd, immediately drawing everyone's attention as guests and patrons alike practically ran over themselves to get out of the way of . . . something. Ben couldn't tell what it was at the moment, but whatever it was, it was big, it was powerful, and it seemed to be . . . fighting with itself?

"Hah!"

"En guarde!"

"Take that!"

Without much ceremony, the Red Knight and White Knight came barreling through the crowd like a pair of bulls in a Chinatown, fully immersed in their battle and almost completely unaware of where they were. The two warriors swung their swords and clashed with a mighty spit of sparks as they struggled and strained to keep their ground. The alabaster paladin grunted as he gave a sharp, upward shove and unlocked their swords before swinging his blade in a wide arc that forced his opponent back. With the crimson cavalier's guard left virtually open, he struck him to the ground with a swift kick to the chest, knocking his sword free from his hand.

The White Knight pointed the tip of his sword at Chase's chin."You fought well, but it seems that it is I who has won our game. Check and mate."

"Alright, I yield. I yield!" he groaned.

"What in Grimm's name is going on here!?" the Queen of Hearts demanded to know, her face a beet red as her husband tried to calm her down and keep her from doing anything irrational – even if the celebrations had been disrupted by the two knight's battle.

The White Knight grabbed the hilt of his sword in both hands and respectfully knelt with his head bowed. "My most humblest and sincerest of apologies, my queen. T'was not my intention to interrupt your birthday. I was merely trying to ensure that your daughter and her companions were able to escape the clutches of Wonderland High to come to your aid."

Taking a brief moment to think at her husband's behest, the Queen of Hearts let out a sigh and nodded her head. "You are hereby forgiven. You may rise."

"Thank you, your majesty." the ivory cavalier bowed respectfully as he climbed to his feet.

Chase however, didn't seem to notice or care – at the moment at least – that the Queen of Hearts was still looking him as if she were trying to figure out the most painful way of decapitating him. "What a knight! What skill! What power!" he took of his helmet and stared at his adversary with admiration. "What manner of man are you?"

If there was any form of ultimate irony, it was the brave, fearless, and courageous White Knight looking about as uncomfortable as a glossophobic child being asked to recite the works of William Shakestale by memory for the entire Grand Council. The cavalier was practically shaking in his suit when he felt all the gazes of anticipation and expectancy upon him, boring through his protective armor like a thousand tiny drills. While most were kind and merely pleading, there were a select few that were a tad more aggressive, namely those of the royal family and none other than Ben, who was giving him a glare of annoyance that said "you dragged me all over this insane asylum of a realm without giving me a straight answer and now you're going to give it to me, whether you like it or not".

The White Knight hesitated for a second before he slowly slid his sword back into the scabbard at his belt and reached for his helmet. The entire gathered crowd practically held its breath as he paused for a second, as if relishing in the final moments of his sanctity, and slowly lifted the armor from his head.

"Actually . . . I'm not a manner of man at all . . ." he spoke, and his voice got lighter and more soft around the edges as the helmet was lifted from his shoulders. Curtains of long and wavy platinum blonde hair streaked with hints and tones of shimmering azure spilled forth from the depths of the helmet, obscuring his face when the piece of armor was tucked under his arm. The knight tossed his head back and raked the endless curls from his face to reveal-

"DARLING!?"

"Oh, come on!" Daring yelped as he was once again doused with punch by his startled brother. "You know what? This time I'm far too astounded to even care!"

To say Ben was surprised was an understatement. "Well. Didn't see that coming."

"I concur." Lizzie agreed.

The Daughter of Prince Charming smiled sheepishly. "I guess you'd all like an explanation of what I've been up to." she mused as she shrugged her broad, metallic shoulders; the suit of armor popped and hissed, releasing a jet of steam as it did so. The chestplate split in two and slid open with the whir of mechanical gears and the anterior of the legs popped open with a hiss to reveal that Darling had been standing on a pair of stilts to increase her height.

"I know I would," Chase was breathless and completely dumbfounded. "Where did a mere princess learn to wield a weapon with such precision and proficiency?"

"Well, sorry, but that story's best told another day." Darling gave the Red Knight a teasing wink. "I believe now . . . it's time to party!"

As much as he wanted to press the issue and perhaps get some pointers on his stance from the princess, he had to admit that a wedding breakfast-birthday party mashup was probably not the best place or time. Besides that, Darling had been immediately swarmed by her brothers and bombarded with an entire arsenal about her well being and whereabouts, which only seemed to aggravate her; it wasn't until Cupid and Duchess had sidled up to the two prince's and dragged them off, finally allowing her to escape to the safety of the buffet table for some much needed refreshments.

And then he realized he was alone. Even though most people that passed by him gave him a friendly wave or smile, none of them made an attempt to talk or dance with him.

Guess that's what I get for putting training over having a social life," Chase thought to himself. Talking to Darling was out of the question and even though the only other person he could possibly relate to was Ben, the paladin still despised him for so easily humiliating him in front of his fellow peers, as well as the fact that he was preoccupied with entertaining the royal family – he hoped to the ancestors that the way his majesty was hanging off his arm didn't mean what he thought it meant.

Salvation soon came to his aid in the form of a beautifully familiar voice. "Chase!"

"Bianca!" the Red Knight immediately brightened up at the sound of his name when he saw the Daughter of the White Queen making her way through the crowd to him. "You're here, too?"

The princess smiled and rolled her eyes. "Of course, I am! Seeing as how my mother was unable to attend the Queen of Hearts' birthday bash, I had to take her place. It is, after all, important and above all respectful that royalty invite others of their social standing and status in order to show off their power and wealth to others who would otherwise be beneath them, as well as reaffirm relationships with one another, such as trade routes, alliances, prearranged marriages, and . . . and I'm starting to ramble again, aren't I?"

"No, please, keep talking. I could never get tired of your voice." Chase had a dazed and far off look in his eye before he realized what he had just said and promptly facepalmed himself out of shame. "Why did I say that . . ?"

Bianca couldn't help but chuckle and tried her hardest to suppress a blush that so desperately wanted to make itself known. Did he really like the sound of her voice? Most people quickly tired of it when she talked for more than ten seconds. "Well, then . . . I believe you wanted to 'hang out sometime' as an apology for not knowing that I, and I quote, 'existed in the first place'?"

Now it was the cavalier's turn to the same shade of red as his suit of armor. "Erm . . . sh-shall we?" he offered her his hand.

"As soon as you lose the armor. We are at a party after all; it's only appropriate to dress accordingly." Bianca teased him.

"R-Right."

Not too far off, Ben and Lizzie couldn't help but smile at the amusing banter between the two chess pieces. It was obvious that they liked each other – perhaps even more than that – but like couples so often did, they were dancing around the problem instead of taking the more simple and direct approach and simply admitting their feelings for one another; it was a sad thing, really.

"Five bucks says they end up together." Ben leaned on the back of Lizzie's wheelchair while Chase began the long process of taking off his crimson suit of armor in favor of the more loose-fitting and casual clothes he wore underneath.

"Perhaps. Let's just hope they're more open to their feelings than Alistair and Bunny are," the princess sighed with frustration at the sight of her two friends awkwardly trying to dance together without making it obvious that they liked each other. Not only was really sad and actually kind of pathetic, but it was starting get aggravating as well. "I mean, for the love of the ancestors, I got married to someone I've barely known more than two months and they haven't even gone out on a single date, much less admit their feelings!"

"But did you regret it?"

Lizzie could practically taste the mirth that saturated her husband's question. "Not yet, I haven't." she smirked.

"You two are truly, truly, truly outrageous." Skurd groaned when the two newlyweds ventured off to see if they couldn't grab anything from the buffet table before it got skittish and ran away again.

She was fuming.

No, that didn't even begin to describe how angry she was. She was infuriated. She was seething. The very thought of the diabolical plot she had been carefully devising for years on end to bring Wonderland to its knees going up in smoke made her blood boil and froth with rage. It might not have stung so much if the Grand Council had put an end to her rein of terror, but the fact that her own pathetic excuse for a daughter had turned on her and undone all of her hard work only served to further rub salt in the wound.

She had designed the curse herself – a feat within itself as most spells that were common knowledge had been created thousands of years ago when witches and warlocks and wizards alike had first begun to understand the full extent of their powers – to be as arduous and sensitive as possible to prevent any attempts to hinder her scheme. She had nearly drained her magical core of all its power in order to craft that spell, sufficiently weakening herself, and leaving her open to capture, but it had all been worth it when Wonderland had been cut off from Ever After and left to its own devices; all it would have taken was but the breath of a few simple words to end the realm once and for all.

And then her spawn of a daughter had found her spell's one fatal flaw and unraveled it all in a mere fraction of the time she had taken to prepare.

With a snarl, she lashed out at the mirror before her and raked her spike-like claws across the glass, creating a hollow shriek that echoed for an eternity in the ceaseless void and left deep gouges in her wake; flecks of blood dripped to the ground from her wounded fingers, but she ignored them. She had only herself to blame, really. While she saw much of herself in the Jester girl, she clearly was not up to the task of being her unwitting pawn in her game for power – a mistake she should have learned the first time she played the Jester line like the chess pieces they were. After all, how could a mere joker stand up to her own flesh and blood, her own raw and dark power?

Her attention was suddenly caught and a sinister smile slowly slithered across her lips when she watched the boy finally break away from Cardilia's daughter to dance with her own miserable regret for an offspring. If there was anything that could draw her out of her self loathing and brooding, it was the boy. He was mildly attractive and the few times she had managed to catch bits and pieces of conversation between him and his ever expanding harem made her chuckle with amusement; she found herself drawn to him

Or more specifically, to the watch upon his wrist.

The salvation of Wonderland was indeed setback that had cost her several years and would most likely cost her several more, but she didn't care. She followed an "open door" philosophy in which she would take advantage of whatever opportunity presented itself to her while simultaneously crushing anyone or anything that stood in her way and it hadn't failed her yet; like the spider that had so patiently spun its web to ensnare the hapless fly, she could wait and bide her time before such an opportunity itself. And when she escaped, the boy and his watch would be hers.

"Cast your spells and revel in your newfound power, my precious daughter," she couldn't but give a sadistic grin as she watched her being spun around and dipped by the boy. "You may think goodness is all that is to be found in your heart, but I can see through your facade. You'll be back to your true self in due time."

With a short intake of calming breath, she tentatively placed her fingers upon the mirror before her and begun to mutter words too soft to be heard in a tongue from an era long forgotten. The tips of her digits began to warm at an alarming rate and were soon a scorching white hot to the touch; wisps of smoke curled forth from the mirror while her deep, mauve eyes ignited like a pair of coals, her chanting getting louder and louder. At the climax of the spell she had invoked, she thrust her hand into the mirror so that her palm now lay against its smooth surface mere moments before a surge of power burst forth from her fingertips and shattered the mirror into a million pieces with a precise and destructive blast.

The startled screams of a certain young prince whose hand mirror had exploded mere inches from his face bringing a malicious smile to her lips that quickly distorted into a twisted cackle. A glance back at the broken shards brought forth an itching sensation from the back of her mind, stronger than it had ever been in nearly thirteen years. "Enjoy your peace, insolent boy. But like George the Triumphant, you too, are destined to fail."

With the sneer of a smile plastered upon her alabaster features, she returned back within the darkness of her prison realm to resume her escape attempts. They were potentiality futile, but it was all that was keeping her from going insane when the world on the other side of the looking glass was too boring for her liking.

Perhaps that was the one good thing that came out of her failed scheme. If there was one place that was never boring, it was Wonderland.

The festivities had lasted long into the night with no end in sight and it was only when the furthermost reaches of the sun's warm, comforting glow had only just begun to creep over the edges of the horizon and turned the sky a soft potpourri of magentas and rosettes. By then, most of the guests had taken their leave – those that weren't tipsy and passed out under a rose bush, that is – and a vast majority of the students that had unexpectedly shown up at the party had been safely escorted home by the two Guardians of Wonderland and a fair number of the queen's own men.

Those that had been invited to remain – namely the Seven Saviors of Wonderland – had been offered room and board for the night and to join the queen for a mid-morning brunch when their exhausted bodies deemed they had had enough rest. There had been some unexpected resistance however – although, perhaps not that expected – from Ben's harem of worried ghouls and girls who hadn't taken to the idea of being separated from their boyfriend again too kindly. They refused to leave until the Queen of Hearts had offered to accommodate them as well in order to prevent a flat out war between the harem as a whole and her own men – not that she had any doubts on who would win.

"This is a pretty clawsome suite, huh?"

"I suppose."

Venus pressed her lips as she came to a rest upon the bed she had been jumping up and down on in an attempt to excite her ghoulfriend. The room was incredibly lavish and well decorated, like one of the many palaces in Mosscow, and yet it was very simple in design as well – the suite consisted mostly of a single room that was a comfortable combination of a bedroom with a queen-sized canopy bed and a living room with an effusive sofa and plasma screen TV hanging off the wall, among other things. A wonderfully large bathroom sat adjacent to the main room and contained perhaps the biggest bathroom Venus ever seen.

And yet, Jane didn't seem the slightest bit impressed with the decor. She simply just lay there on her back, starring up at the ceiling as if she were lost in thought.

"Are you still upset that the Queen of Hearts thought you were her pet?" the plant-monster ghoul asked.

"A little."

She was quickly running out of ideas at what could possibly be ailing her ghoulfriend. "You seem to be taking Ben's sudden marriage rather well."

"I suppose. It's still a little surprising."

"Yeah. Surprising." Venus mused as she flopped down on the bed, making the mattress bounce and roll as a result. The plant-monster ghoul turned on her side carefully looked at her ghoulfriend, noting how she hadn't reacted in the slightest to the slow motion; whatever was on her mind really seemed to have her captivated. "Jane, what's wrong? You're usually not like this."

The jungle ghoul gave a disheartened sigh and starred at the roof of the canopy bed a little longer, as if contemplating how to best word her feelings. After a few minutes of silent consideration, she eventually rolled over on her side – taking a moment to appreciate how comfortable and soft the mattress was – and looked at Venus with those pair of faded, azure eyes that rolled and pulsed like a storm across the twilight sky. "It's my . . . transformation." she finally admitted.

"You mean when you turned into a Jabberwocky?" the green-skinned ghoul cocked an eyebrow. "Couldn't you already do that?"

Jane shook her head. "No, no I couldn't. Traditionally, I was capable of transforming into various animals through my own monster biology and into animals of extraterrestrial origin through the Nemetrix; I've never transformed into creatures who are often disregarded as myth and legend."

"Have you tried before?" Venus asked.

Once again, the jungle ghoul shook her head. "I have made attempts, but nothing of notable fruition." she replied, rolling back over on her back with a hand pinned behind her head and the other draped across her stomach. "When I first discovered my therianthropic capabilities, they were triggered by my emotional state of mind. Perhaps this sudden . . . evolution is brought about through the same process, but with anger instead of fear."

"And that scares you?" Venus asked.

". . . Yes . . ." the shape-shifter replied, her voice sounding frail and anxious. "It makes me wonder what I'm capable of, if anything else. You remember what happened when I first received the Nemetrix; what happens if I lose control again?"

The green-skinned ghoul did indeed remember the first time her ghoulfriend had encountered the Nemetrix. How could she forget the way her once juicy Sweet Mango had ruthlessly and relentlessly hunted them like simple prey, a predatory and primal propensity in her crimson glare? She still had nightmares of the incident every now and again – she always woke up in a cold sweat with breath clawing its way from the back of her throat at the mere memory of a monster wearing Jane's face like a macabre mask sinking her fangs into her flesh and raking her corpse with her claws dripping with blood from her last meal.

"Then we'll be there to help you!" the plant-monster ghoul pushed the thought of her darkest fears away. "If we did it before, we can do it again!"

"But what if you can't help me? What if this time I'm too far gone to be saved? What if it's too late? What if-"

That was about as far as she got when Venus promptly grabbed her by the shoulders and silenced her with a kiss before she knew what was happening. At first, she was apprehensive and only dimly aware of the tempting motions that her ghoulfriend was making with her lips or the way she sensuously caressed her cheek and teased her with her tongue; it took several moments for her to slowly relax and melt into the green-skinned ghoul's embrace, their figures perfectly fitting together like two halves of a whole. She could almost feel her worries fade away when she felt Venus seductively dance her fingers along her spine, pressing their bodies together as if she were trying to force the two of them to fuse into one being.

Jane gave a comforted sigh as she was finally allowed to breath and made herself comfortable in her ghoulfriend's frame. "Thank you. I'm sorry I got worried."

The plant-monster ghoul couldn't help but smile as she calmly threaded her claws through the shape-shifter's mauve, twilight locks. "You could stand to worry less. Trust me, everything will be fine."

"I'd like to believe you, but there is one small problem . . ."

"What's that?"

"This bugger collar!" the jungle ghoul sat up and abruptly latched onto her neck with an iron-clad grip, tugging and yanking and clawing at her lavender skin in an effort to remove the collar that was tightly clasped around her throat. After a few futile minutes however, she eventually gave up and collapsed back on the bed with a frustrated sigh. "I still can't get it off and the queen has yet to remove it."

Venus merely gave a cat-like grin as she suddenly attacked her ghoulfriend, quickly mounting and straddling her before she could do anything. The plant-monster ghoul then proceeded to work a finger under Jane's collar and gave a sharp tug so that her face even with hers. A seductive smile crept across her lips as she hungrily examined her ghoulfriend with wantoning lust, her libidinous eyes tracing over every curve of her body – the way her panties hugged her hips and how her cute breasts trembled and quivered beneath her nightgown – and every beautiful detail, most notably the painful blush upon the jungle ghoul's face.

"That's not a small problem," she purred in the shape-shifter's ear, earning an anxious swallow. "That's a big opportunity." Venus breathed warmly when she tilted her head down and deeply kissed her, igniting a fiery passion between them. Her claws had already made short work of the nightgown, effectively tearing it to shreds as she gently nibbled at Jane's collarbone and earned the whisper of a moan as a reward. With reckless abandon she ripped her top off and exposed her adorable, perky breasts before setting upon them with an ardor disposition . . .

Apple decided she was going to ignore the faint, hollowing thumping that was keeping her up. It would eventually lull her to sleep as she got use to it, and besides, there was absolutely no way in the name of the ancestor's that it was what she thought it was. It had to be the guards cleaning up after the party . . . yes, that had to be it. No doubt about it.

The repetitive and quickly tiring noise wasn't what was keeping her up though. With a sigh she sat up in bed and took a look at the guest room that she had been assigned to when the queen had offered them room and board for the night. It was exquisitely decorated and must have cost a fortune to build, much like the rest of Card Castle. An intricate pattern of spades and aces, diamonds and hearts made up the rug that covered much of the floor and a pair of king-sized beds were positioned opposite of one another opposing the door. A vanity had been placed adjacent to the door that led to the largest bathroom Apple had ever laid eyes on and a comfortable seating area consisting of two chairs and a love seat sat positioned around a plasma screen TV stationed on the wall.

The princess sighed, knowing that somewhere within the impregnable fortress that was Card Castle the Storybook of Legends was being heavily guarded until it could be returned to the Brothers Grimm when they made the journey back to Ever After in the morning. Part of her was glad that the book had been recovered with minimal consequences and that her destiny was safely secured, and yet another part of her found discomfort in the book's retrieval. Why did it feel like she suddenly had a ball and chain clamped around her leg and weighing her down?

"Hey, Raven?"

There was the sound of rustling sheets as the young witch stirred and rolled over in her bed, unwilling to get out from her spot beneath the warm, soft covers after the day she had. "Yeah?" she grumbled sleepily.

"Sorry if I woke you." Apple apologized.

The witchling yawned and rubbed her eyes. "Don't worry about it. What's the matter? Is this about Clawdeen and Lizzie?"

The princess swallowed nervously. Up until a few hours ago, she had never seen such tension between two opposing parties, not even in the days following the Legacy Day Incident. It seemed the moment that the wedding proposal had been accepted, a silent battle had been ignited between Lizzie and Clawdeen the likes of which she had never seen. The two of them would continuously send each other threatening and increasingly violent looks and gestures behind Ben's back, immediately pretending as if nothing had happened whenever he would turn back around. It was a little unsettling and they likely would have been at each others' throats within seconds had she and the rest of the harem done everything in their power to intervene.

It seemed a confrontation was inevitable.

"No, no, it's not that." Apple hesitated for a moment. "Do . . . do you think I made the right decision?"

"Is this about the Storybook of Legends?" Raven asked.

"Yeah."

The young witch sighed. "I don't know, Apple." she replied. "I mean, if this was entirely about you or if everyone was ready to follow their destiny at the drop of a hat, then, yeah, you made the right choice. But we both know it's not that simple."

"That's why I'm so hung up on this," the Daughter of Snow White with frustration. "A queen is supposed to do everything in her power to make sure that her subjects are as happy as possible in order to ensure that her kingdom thrives."

"But you're not a queen. Not yet at least." Raven pointed out. "You're too concerned with what was and what might be. There's a saying my dad always told me: yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is gift. That's why it's called the 'present'. For now, the book is safe and if you end up changing your mind about the whole destiny thing, then you don't have to sign. Simple as that."

"But Headmaster Grimm-"

The witchling waved it off. "Don't worry about him. He's just a narrow-minded old fart who can't stand anything in his life being new or different. Look, if things get nasty, I'll turn him into a chicken again . . . if Ben doesn't get to him first." she promised.

Apple still remained skeptical. After all, before the whole destiny conflict had reared its ugly head, she and the headmaster had been quite close. Always eager and ready to practice her skills as a future ruler, she would take over morning announcements if he was running late and always did her best to try and soothe his frayed nerves whenever the Rebels would become a bit too rebellious for his liking or tolerance. And in return, he was kind and polite with her and would always be ready to aid should the need ever arise, a connection that had come in handy quite a few times. Even if he did manage to ruffle even the princess's feathers every now and again, she didn't want anything bad to happen to him.

"Maybe you could be just a little more gentle with him? I afraid sooner or later he's going to have an identity crisis after all the transformations he's been through." she asked hopefully

"I make no promises," Raven yawned with what might have been the ghost of a smile as she rolled back over and snuffled further beneath the covers.

With the conversation apparently over, Apple made herself comfortable and attempted to fall asleep. After everything she had been through – all the chaos and madness and lack of any sensible logic – she just about ready to collapse from exhaustion. The party had left her particularly drained after she had been egged into a dance contest with Whisp – after reining victorious over Kitty – and failed miserably on her part, receiving a multitude of blisters as her only consolation prize. But even after her long and taxing day, the young monarch just couldn't find herself falling asleep.

Something was missing . . .

"Hey, Raven?"

The young witch groaned irritably. "Yeah?"

"Is it alright if I . . . um, sleep with you? I'm not use to sleeping without Ben anymore and . . . well, since we, uh, usually end up sleeping next to each other . . ."

The witchling gave pause, as if heavily contemplating the princess's request like how a cat contemplated the very thought of swimming. Eventually however, the rustling of sheets as she reluctantly scooted over yielded an answer. "Alright. Just try not to move around too much."

Apple did as she was asked and hastily gathered up her pillow and bed sheets before nimbly tip-toeing over to Raven's bed in an effort to make as little noise as possible – somehow she got the feeling that she was already asking a little too much and the young witch was tolerating her out of guilt. She then went about placing her pillow at the head of the bed and draping the blankets and covers over the two of them while she bedded down and made herself comfortable.

"Better?"

The princess made herself cozy under the covers, already feeling far more at ease with the young witch's presence close by. "Much. Thanks for doing this."

The Daughter of Evil Queen tensed up when she felt Apple's arms wrap around her in a grateful hug and did her best to try and suppress a whimper of pain when the young monarch's hands pressed a little too firmly on the scars that just barely lay hidden beneath the crimson nightgown she had been lent. Like the dying embers of a campfire, her wounds still burned after the intense battle she had been through and it took every fiber of her being to suddenly lash out in defense before the princess finally settled down.

"Good night, Raven."

"Good n-night, Apple."

"You're mom is starting to scare me."

"And just why is that?"

Ben frowned as he leaned against the door frame and made himself more comfortable. He could hear Lizzie splashing about in the absolutely enormous bathroom on the other side of the door and did his best to try and distract himself by looking around at the princess's bedroom. The walls were painted a soft maroon in color with a golden trimming and were decorated with pictures of more personal value – such as the small, family portrait that hung just juxtapose to the closet door. The floor was a covered in a fine, soft white carpet with a few rugs that were patterned to be like king and queen playing cards. A large wardrobe stood against the wall opposite of the walk-in closet door and a grand, queen-sized canopy bed with red covers, white sheets and pillows, and pink curtains stood proudly as the room's focal point.

"We've been married less than six hours and she's already pressing us into grandchildren." he replied.

There was a slight pause from the bathroom. "You'll have to forgive mother. She can be a tad . . . eager."

Ben scoffed. "Eager? She practically begged me to come to your family's private hot springs! I mean, I get that we're now technically family, but that's getting a little too up close and personal, if you ask me."

"She's just trying to be friendly, Ben. You have to remember, what might not be social acceptable in Ever After is likely just as acceptable and perhaps even encouraged here in Wonderland. And rest assured, my father and I would have been there to prevent her from possibly making any rash actions that might make you uncomfortable which, I assure you, would likely not happen." Lizzie attempted to comfort her husband.

"Likely being the operative word, I might add." a classy tone bit a remark.

The brunette scowled and glowered at the Slimebiote upon his wrist. "Ever heard the saying 'two's company, but three's a crowd'?"

"Not at all. Please, what does it mean?" Skurd rolled his eyes with a sarcastic drawl.

Ben sighed tiredly. "Scram. Vamoose. High tail it out of here. Beat it. Make yourself scarce. That ring a bell?"

"Mmmm . . . I don't think so. Perhaps you should make yourself more clear and speak with a little more diction. Your species does have a tendency to mumble despite your habit of rendering yourselves deaf with each passing generation."

The wielder of the Omnitrix groaned with exasperation. "Can you leave me alone? I hear Maddie and Kitty are having a tea party in their dorm."

"Mmmm, sounds tempting. But afraid I can't leave until you ask me properly."

Now he was starting to remember why a part of him was happy that the Slimebiote had left him to reunite with his ancestors in their original mission of seeding life across all of creation. "Please can you leave me alone?" he tried, nearly at the end of his rope.

"Really, was that so hard?" Skurd asked as he detached himself from his host's arm and hopped down to the floor. "Remember, keep it clean, you lovebirds! I had better not find you two au naturel when I return!" he added while he slithered across the floor and proceeded to squeeze himself out beneath the door frame with a slight pop!

The brunette breathed with relief as he slid down the wall to the floor. "Finally."

"Ben? I'm ready to get out." Lizzie suddenly called from the bathroom.

He immediately flushed a bright red as he pushed himself back up against the wall and climbed to his feet. "You're . . . um . . . covered, right?"

"What, the Great Ben Tennyson is afraid to see a young lady in the nude?" the princess scoffed from the other side of the bathroom door. "Besides, I thought you mentioned that you've seen a lady's unmentionables multiple times?" she added with what he could only assume to be a sly and possibly enticing smile.

"We barely know each other and we're already married." the wielder of the Omnitrix tried to argue.

"That didn't stop you from proposing and that didn't stop me from accepting, now did it?"

After trying and failing to come up with a witty comeback that didn't have the potential to insult his temperamental wife, he finally surrendered – he could almost hear a taunting remark from Skurd in his head. "Alright, fine. I'm coming in."

Thankfully, Lizzie had managed to haul herself onto the lip of the gigantic bathtub that took up a generous portion of the private bathroom and wrapped a black towel around herself. A playful wink was all it took to turn Ben's face a scarlet red as he let her wrap her arms around his neck while he placed his hands under her back and hooked them under her legs. Carrying her bridal style and dripping water all over the floor, he then carefully set her down in her wheelchair and pushed her out of the bathroom.

Normally, a pair of hand maidens would have helped the princess bathe and prepare herself to look her very best for the day, but Lizzie had insisted that they leave all of that up to her and her husband in order to help them bond more. That, and she didn't really like the idea of anyone else but Ben helping her get around while her legs were out of commission; for the first time in her life, it made her feel weak and helpless. It wasn't so bad when her husband was the one helping her instead of a complete stranger that she didn't have much emotional attachment to – it was actually quite enjoyable to see him all flustered, knowing all that separated him from seeing her in all her naked glory was a mere towel.

"You're dressing yourself." Ben stated firmly as they came to a stop at her walk-in closet.

"My, my, are we a little shy?" Lizzie smirked while she pulled open the door and wheeled herself inside, leaving her husband to wait outside.

"It's not that," the brunette defended himself. "Like I said before, we barely know each other and we're already married. I'd kinda like to know more about my wife before I . . . do anything with her."

He could almost taste the smugness in her voice. "That's not what you said when you proposed to me."

"Alright, then answer me this: why do you love me?"

There was a pause, as if he had finally managed to dull the princess's sharp and quick witted tongue. "You promised to me that we would save my mother without a second thought or concern for your safety. You comforted me and stuck by me in my darkest hours when I thought that we had failed. You protected me with your life and never gave up on me or your loved ones when all hope seemed lost. Most other people I know would have given up at some point, but you . . . you never did. And somewhere along the line, through everything we'd been through together . . . I fell in love with you."

"Like Alice down the rabbit hole, eh?" Ben chuckled, trying hard to keep himself from turning red.

"I suppose that's one way of putting it." he could almost hear her smile. "Now it's your turn. Why did you fall in love with me?"

Now the brunette was no longer laughing and was, in fact, very nervous; like any man, he didn't like to talk about his feelings a lot. "Well . . ." he swallowed dryly. "You're very beautiful . . . and smart. You don't let anyone tell you what to do unless you want them to . . . you're strong, you're a fighter, you refuse to back down from any challenge . . . and did I mention that you make scars and bruises look gorgeous?"

"I bet you say that to all your girls." the princess teased him with a slight laugh.

"You're the first one I'm married to that I said that to. Well, first one that I'm officially married to anyways."

There was another pause from the young monarch. "What exactly do you mean by that?"

Ben immediately tensed up and gulped nervously, his heart hammering in his chest. "Um . . . did I forget to mention that . . . I'm already . . . kinda . . . married?" he winced. "We aren't . . . exactly married, but in her culture we might as well be. Her species has this whole . . . 'soulmate' thing . . . and stuff . . ."

There was yet another lengthy pause, only furthering his anxiety. "What species is she?"

"Um . . . a dragon?"

A fourth pause. By now the brunette was getting increasingly agitated. It was almost funny how effortlessly he had starred down common criminals, self-proclaimed super villains, psychopathic maniacs, rampaging monsters, and intergalactic conquerors without batting an eye and yet he was practically a crumbling mess when it came to the opinion of his harem. Maybe that was just a side effect now that the fact that he was married was beginning to sink in.

Mercifully, the young monarch gave a response. "She's sounds like an interesting individual."

Ben was slightly taken aback by this. "Wait, hold up. Let me get this straight. I'm married to you and you're married to me, but I'm also married to someone else, a dragon no less. And you're okay with this? Did I miss something!?" he shouted with disbelief.

"Relax, Ben. Based on your interactions together, it was inevitable that you would end up getting married to your ghouls some day. Besides, even if I am a princess whose family has a reputation for always getting what they want, I was taught to share. Even if that means sharing a man between . . . how many members of your harem are there?" Lizzie rolled her eyes as she came wheeling out of the walk-in closet wearing a red corset with white lace and black ribbons and a pair of ruby panties under a soft, maroon nightgown with black bows at the straps and breast.

"To be honest, I stopped keeping track after Kevin, Rook, and half the Plumber base and Monster High student body started taking bets." the brunette awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish smile. "Last I checked, there were twenty-four, counting you."

"You sure do get around, don't you?" the princess laughed while her husband wheeled her over to the bed. "I know Sparrow would give anything to be in your shoes. He'd be living his greatest fantasy."

Ben scoffed when she looped her arms around his neck and he placed his hands under her back and legs, lifting her up from the wheelchair and carrying her bridal style. "Knowing my ghouls, it'd be more like his greatest nightmare. He'd be torn to shreds in less than a minute." he laughed at the idea while he laid Lizzie down on the bed.

"Coming to bed, dear?" the Daughter of the Queen of Hearts beckoned to him with a finger and hungry grin.

"That's your new favorite word, isn't it?" Ben remarked as he took off his top hat and slipped off his suit vest. He then went about kicking off his shoes and socks and then stripping his pants off, leaving him only in his black boxers and the Omnitrix upon his wrist. "And you can stop drooling."

"What can I say? I like how it rolls off the tongue." the princess sheepishly wiped her lips as her husband and stretched as far as his injuries would allow him before climbed into bed beside her and made himself comfortable. The brunette sighed as the soft, plush mattress soothed his aching muscles and cradled his broken body and felt a smile of contentment across his face when he felt her snuggle up to him.

The young monarch sighed. "I could get use to this."

"Me, too, babe."

A bewitching smile crawled across her lips as Lizzie rolled over and slowly walked her fingers across his chest. "Say it again. Call me your 'babe'."

"Whatever you say, babe." Ben purred as he rolled over and pecked her on the cheek with a lascivious grin to her own. The princess's arm slid over his chest like a snake slithering over a well worn rock, pulled herself closer until they mere inches apart, and took his lips in her own with a fiery passion unlike anything she had ever experienced. Without hesitation, Lizzie dipped her tongue past his lips and forced her way through his defenses, immediately taking control of the situation while she dug her fingers into his scalp.

Even when she thought she thought she had a handle on the situation, the young monarch found herself surprised yet again by the man she had come to call her husband. She found herself moaning uncontrollably when the brunette raked his fingers through her fluid, crimson and ebony locks and tightly wrapped his arm around her, his fingers dancing along her spine and sending ripples of pleasure through her entire body. He fought back with such intensity and longing that Lizzie found herself hard pressed to keep up and was almost to the point of simply letting him take full control of the situation.

But what kind of future queen would she be if she gave in so easily?

Undeterred, she fought back fiercely, tightly cupping Ben's face and crashing their lips together like a pair of cymbals, as if she were trying to force her way down his throat. She could feel his arms tighten around her like the coils of an anaconda, his arm strongly gripping the back of her head while he kissed her deeply; her breasts were mashed against his chest, creating a pleasant buzzing feeling in her core. The princess shifted herself about and succeeded in wedging her knee into his crotch where she felt a satisfying bulge between his legs and gave a muffled squeal of surprise when she felt Ben's hand unexpected grab her ass and squeeze; a jolt of pleasure ran through her like a lightning strike.

By the time the two of them finally reached a draw, they were completely breathless and glowing a fiery, red mantle as they settled down. With a purr of equanimity, Lizzie rested her head in the crook of his neck and wrapped a trembling arm over his chest, the fainting thumping of his mighty heart lulling her into slumber. Likewise, her slowing breath eased him into repose and left him barely conscious to breath but a set of words before he finally gave in to his exhaustion.

" I love you . . ."

"I love you, too . . ."

M.N: And so, all worked out well in the end . . . wait, what? How did that happen?

F.N: I . . . do seem to remember you breaking the rules big time, young lady!

B.P: Oh, come on! You two were completely off your rockers with Wonderland Fever! No one could have understood what you were saying! Besides, I'm not the only one who broke the rules! Turner did, too!

F.N: Is this true, young man?

T.P: Um . . . yes?

M.N: To be fair, dear, they were just doing their job the best way they knew how . . .

F.N: *sigh* I suppose you're right. But that doesn't excuse the fact that you two broke the rules!

B.P: We did interfere with the story, but if you want to blame anyone, blame me. Turner only narrated the story . . . I was the one who interacted with it . . .

F.N: Brooke Novella Page-

B.P: But I'm glad I did! I care about these guys, mom, more than you could even know! They're the closest thing I have to friends! And just like they want to make their own choices in life . . . I want to make mine, too . . .

M.N: Alright. Just be mindful of how you choose. If you're not careful, you could end up right there on the page.

B.P: We wouldn't want that, would we?

F.N: You can't be serious.

M.N: Dear, as parents, it is our duty to support Brooke in whatever she chooses to do with her life. It's our job to merely guide her, not live her life for her.

F.N: Alright . . . but I expect you to make wise decisions, young lady!

B.P: I will, mom! I will! Thank you!

T.P: And that's probably my cue to leave. Love to stay and chat, but I got some classes to get back to before my professor yells at me for being late again.

F.N: Again?

T.P: Oh, would you look at the time? Gotta run!

B.P: Wait, Turner!

T.P: What?

B.P: . . . thanks for being my brother . . .

T.P: Anytime, sis. Anytime.

As a wise man once said . . . IT'S ABOUT TIME, AM I RIGHT!?

'For once, I agree with you Four-Eyes? It took you so long to post this stupid /censored/ chapter that I had enough time to finish my taco tanks!'

If there's one thing I've learned when dealing with our readers, Wade, is that you can never have too much of something.

'You're right! How could I be so foolish? Clearly, I need more taco tanks! And a burrito battalion! And a salsa squad to do all the dirty work behind the scenes in exchange for time off their life sentences! And if they don't do what I tell them to do, I K-word them into next week!'

I think someone might have beaten you to the punch.

'That may be, but did they ever try it with delicious delicacies of Mexican origin?'

No . . .

'Ah-HA! The dream still lives!'

Creaty, I'm starting to get hungry. Can we order takeout?

You read my mind, babe. Just let me wrap up here while you place an order at Tartarus Bell. Give me half a dozen beef tacos with as many nachos as they have in stock drowned in the spiciest salsa they can afford. And put it on ol' Hothead's tab. He owes me a favor.

Yay!

Now then, as I'm sure you all already know, this chapter is beyond late. I'd give you a full explanation now, but I am currently deprived of sleep, food, and entertainment as I vowed myself that I would not rest until I posted this for you all. That unfortunately means that I've neglected a vast majority of my other projects in the meantime, as well as people that I regularly talk to and readers that I collaborate with or have conversations with. If you want the full explanation, look at my Deviantart account for answers, but I'll be spending the next week or so catching up with y'all, so hang in there!

I guess I really don't have much else to say other than thank you for sticking with me, even if I have a regular habit of disappearing off the face of the Underworld every now and again. Now that I'm no longer following a strict script, I can hopefully assume that updates will be faster . . . until I hit Dragon Games that is . . . ooh, boy . . .

With that being said, I-

~They call me Deadpool, I'm hella fast, came to merc the bad guys and get some /censored/! Got blades for days, got guns galore, got combo moves, evades and more with bear traps and hand grenades, pull the pistol like a maniac, right in your face! Poppin' off caps, leave a trail of guts sittin' on my chair, scratching ma nuts!~

What the-

Wade!

'HAH! I told you I would play my theme song one way or another! Score one for the Chimichanga King! Ha-HAH!

You have to admire his persistence . . . and dance moves . . .

And complete disregard for people's sanity. *sigh* Well, I guess that's as good of a place as any to sign off. As always, comment, review, suggest, and request down below!

'Yeah! Yeah! Uh, huh! Get down with your bad self! And by your bad self, I mean my bad self, and by my bad self, I mean me!'

Hasta Luego!

See what kind of hell I have to live through?